Love and Hate
by erintheartchick
Summary: An absent minded vixen finds her way into Knothole and some of the Freedom Fighters have mixed emotions about her. Is she really who she says she is? Or does she have a secret? Meanwhile, Knuckles is on the hunt for more crystals...
1. Elemental Charm

"Elemental Charm"  
  
Love and Hate ~ Part 1 of ?   
A Sonic Fan-fiction story  
by: Erin Lindsey  
  
Rated PG (suitable for 10 or older) for mild profanity and slight sexual   
referances (talks about a girl with big.. uh.. y'knows). If your offened by   
any of this, please don't read this now and flame me later!  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Authors note!;0  
  
Hello again everybody. Welcome to my newest series! You didn't think  
I was just gonna end it with Friend or Foe 5 did ya? Well I'm not, so there.  
Thanks for everyones support who has e-mailed me and all those web   
publishers out there who want to host my stories on their sites. I love you  
all! Anyway, here's da story: Back on the Floating Island, Knuckles tries to   
riddle out the 'Story Of the Elements' also known as 'Blame Chaos'. Remember   
he found the diamond holding the spirit of peace last time? What will he   
find now? And what does a beutiful young girl have to do with all of this?   
Everything as far as love-stricken Knuckles has to do with it. Meanwhiles...   
Sonic and Sally get in an argument and aren't talking anymore. Sally starts   
to wonder if he really has any feelings for her at all. Robotnik tries out   
his newest deadly mechanical invention, the evil robotic counterpart of our   
hero Sonic, but will our heroes be able to put their emotions aside to save   
Mobius once again? Don't look at me! Read the story!  
  
Also, Clawz is still in these stories, 'cept he's only a minor character.  
I focus more on Knuckles, Sally, and my new character in this part. If you  
have no clue who the (in)famous Clawz Wildcat is, I reccomend you read the   
original "Friend or Foe" series that started it all, you can find a compiled   
file of all five parts here:  
  
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/8283/friendorfoe.txt  
or just check out my name in Tyro's Sonic Fan-Fic Archive!  
  
For those of you newbies, asterisks (*) across the screen means a change in  
time or scenery. Things in in apostrophes (') are a characters thoughts.  
All legal information and other stuff like that is at the end of this story.  
  
One more thing: This takes place in the year 3035, during the middle of   
the Second Great War (Against Robotnik). That would make Sonic and Sally 16,   
Tails 10, Knuckles 17, and Clawz 18.   
  
  
~ Erin Lindsey   
  
Questions, comments, feel like flaming me? E-mail me!   
diamondneko@mail.com  
  
  
On with the show!... Er, I mean story!....  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Chapter One: "The Story Begins"  
  
  
A planet of war. Desolate and tiny in the black vastness of space. It  
almost seemed as if the darkness was about to plunge forth onto the chaotic  
world, swallowing it whole with it's own evil. Something kept the darkess  
at bay. Be it a tiny glittering star on the surface, only seen from the   
millions of miles in space, with the smallest peice of green land that still   
existed, and the brightness of the bravest souls that keep it shining with   
peace, love, hope, and life, fighting the darkness that forever plunges   
forward, threatening to disinigrate their insignificant lives and ruin all   
they have fought for. It is this star, made by the ones who look to it, that   
shall always keep the spirit flowing within them.   
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
It was a lazy day in the skies above the Eastern Sea of Mobius. The  
humid air seemed to hang there, and as you walked you could feel it, almost  
like a liquid, streaming across your body. The wind smelled sweet, of wild   
flowers, the salty sea, and fresh sap from the trees. The smell wafted   
across your nose like a wave in the thick ocean of air. It felt good, so   
comfertable and warm, lying there in the soft grass, with only the   
cotton-ball clouds above you. It was enough to lull anyone off to sleep...  
  
"Knuckles! What are you doing?!" A voice suddenly repremanded.  
  
The young red echidna who had been lounging on the hill, spung to life  
like a alarm clock. He stared distantly at the fire-ant standing with his  
hands on his hips on a small rock a few feet in front of him.   
  
The echidna's eyes focused on the ant. His mouth tightened. "Err.. I  
was just.. Uhh..." His eyes searched vacantly around him. He spied a thick  
leather bound book at his side. He pulled it up in front of his face. "I  
was just umm.. Reading this book."  
  
The ant looked skeptical. "Oh really? I never knew anyone could read  
in their sleep. You must be a genius." He said, his voice dripping with   
sarcasm.  
  
The young echidna coughed indignantly. "Yeah, well." He said, "I do  
have you as a teacher, Archimedes."   
  
The ant blinked at him, his expression unchanging. "I never taught  
you to be a suck up. Now did I Knuckles?" He said calmly.  
  
"No you didn't, sir." Knuckles retorted. "I must have got it from  
the Chaotix, or something."  
  
Archimedes snorted. "Well it shall get you no where with me." He said  
stepping off the boulder and walking towards the echidna. He stared at the  
book in his lap with intrest. "What is that you're 'reading' there anyway?"  
  
Knuckles glanced down at the object, "Oh, that's just some old book   
I found." He said not giving it a second thought. He picked it up and set  
it down on the ground in front of the fire ant as he stood up.  
  
"..Old book...?" Archimedes said curiously, he stepped up onto the  
cover and looked for a title. The gold printed writing had partially faded  
away, and only the imprints and bits of gold dust were left in the edges.  
"...'The Story of the Elements'." He read, squinting. There was a sub-title,  
but he could barely make it out. "Knuckles... Where did you find this?" He   
asked.  
  
"Hmm?" Knuckles was preoccupied again, eating a purple fruit he had   
picked from a tree, "Oh, I found it at the entrance of the Chaos Chamber,   
after the flood."  
  
"After the flood..?" Archimedes said slowly. He, too, was preoccupied  
with his own thoughts.  
  
"Why? What's the matter with it?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"Eh, nothing really... Have you read any of it?" He asked back.  
  
"Naw, it was all wet. The pages were all blurred, and the ones that  
weren't, were blank. All most half the pages were blank. Weird, huh?" He said,   
reaching for another fruit.  
  
Archimedes pushed open the cover and stood on the corner of the page.  
"Well it looks fine to me now." He said, looking at the perfectly dry and  
neatly printed page.  
  
"What?" Knuckles said, walking to look over him. "But yesterday it was--"  
  
"Knuckles do you know what this is??" Archimedes asked, excitement  
mounting in his voice as he read the title page..  
  
"Yeah, it's a spooky old book, what's your point?" He said simply.  
  
"No, no! This is the book of the legend! Blame Chaos, or as it is  
more formerly known, The Story of the Elements!" He said, stepping off and  
turning another page.  
  
"Oh." Knuckles said, then paused for a second, "So?" He said.  
  
"SO?!" Archimedes yelled turning to him, "This book has been highly   
acclaimed by the guardians for centuries! It's a thousand years old, a story  
told over a hundred generations of echidnas!"  
  
Knuckles picked it up and flipped the pages. "What are you talking   
about? All the pages but one is blank!" He said setting it down again to show  
him. He fanned the pages, and all but white clean pages were after the first,  
and only written page. "Besides, this book doesn't look a thousand years  
old!"  
  
Archimedes looked perplexed, "But I thought you said only half were  
blank when you looked at it the first time..." He said softly.  
  
"They were!" Knuckles said, "At least, I thought they were..."  
  
Archimedes turned to the first page and began to read aloud, "A story  
was told long ago, of one who trapped the evil, of one who possessed true  
wisdom and spirit of the light, who was able to defeat the demon of all  
chaos." He stopped to give Knuckles a nervous glance, "Never again were the  
spirits to be free of their prisons, the eight jewels of darkness and light.  
For the balance was set for the thousand years, but a thousand was not forever.  
One would rise again, to find the eight deities, and save the lands, of the  
evil from once again reigning. Only then would it be attained, for the ten  
centuries to come. The balance shall be set by the one who obtains true   
knowledge and wisdom, and receives the light with unworldly grace. The time  
has come to once again live with peace."  
  
They both were silent a moment. Archimedes stared at the book with   
even more confusion than Knuckles.   
  
"Live again with peace?" Knuckles said suddenly. "Well that's kind of  
weird isn't it?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Archimedes said closing the book again.  
  
"I don't think it's a coincidence, do you?" He said.  
  
"What _are_ you talking about?" Archimedes demanded.  
  
"The book mentioning peace, and my finding that diamond." He said.  
  
"Diamond? What diamond?" Now Archimedes was even more confused.  
  
"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Knuckles said, "I found this diamond, a   
paradox of the emerald. Y'know like chaos and peace. Chaos Emerald, Peace  
Diamond."   
  
Archimedes looked like he was about to blow his top. "And you didn't  
tell me this because...?" He said, trying to keep his cool.  
  
"Er.. I forgot...?"   
  
  
  
  
*****   
  
  
  
  
"OWW!" A loud voice roared, "For the Gods sake, Snively, watch where  
your poking that thing!"  
  
"Sorry, master." Snively grumbled as he pulled his tweezers out of  
his master's robotic wrist. "Maybe if you didn't pound your fist so much  
I would have to be repairing your hand all the time."  
  
"Maybe if you'd SHUT-UP and stop poking me with that infernal pair of  
tweezers I wouldn't be in such a bad mood!" Robotnik snapped back at him.  
"Besides, it's was all your fault in the first place! If it wasn't for your  
bad timing, we would have captured the hedgehog before he had the chance to  
buzz-saw my robotic hand off!"  
  
"Hrumph." Snivley snorted under his breath. If only that stupid hedgehog  
and his friends hadn't spoiled his plan, he would be the one bossing Robotnik   
around.  
  
"Master Robotnik," Said a deep metallic voice, "I have the midnight   
report on the desert rebel base."  
  
"Ah!" Robotnik said happily, swiveling around to face the doorway   
where the robot was standing. "Please continue. How did out eradication  
of the village go?"  
  
"Beautifully, Master." The robot said, it's blue plating glinting in  
the room's dim lighting. "The village was burned to the ground as you ordered  
sir."  
  
"And were there any spared?" Snivley asked anxiously. Robotnik  
had insisted on killing them all, but if there were survivors of the fire,  
maybe he could convince him to roboticize them and put them to use. There  
was no point in wasting good potential robot workers.  
  
"I'm getting the list as we speak, Master Robotnik." It said as a  
SwatBot walked up beside it. It took a disk from the SwatBot and entered  
it into it's data drive. It shifted, to make a rather uncomfortable appearance.  
  
"Yes? Were there any survivors?" Robotnik repeated.  
  
"All known beings are dead, Master Robotnik." It paused, "Except for  
one... A female, red fox, sir. All known others were killed by your orders,   
Master Robotnik."  
  
"Hmm." Robotnik mumbled, "Well, why isn't she dead?"  
  
"Er... She escaped, Master Robotnik." It said, taking a step back out  
the doorway.   
  
"ESCAPED?!" Robotnik snarled pounding his fist on the arm of the   
chair, snapping the wires Snively had just repaired.   
  
Snively grumbled obscenities as he turned around and pulled out his  
tool box again.  
  
"Catch her, and bring her to me!" Robotnik roared.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
It was a seemingly silent night in the Great Forest. It was kind of  
an uneasy silence, yet again waiting to burst forth with energy. Like a  
tiny burning ember that would soon spread into a massive wildfire. It all  
was a bit of a paradox of the usual activity, but it was three o'clock in the  
morning, and everyone was deep into dreams by now. Everyone sane, that is.  
  
"Ha ha!" A loud voice yelled from the control room, "Take zat you  
fuelish feline!" Antoine said arrogantly, throwing his cards on the table  
with a flip of triumph.  
  
Clawz stared at him calmly for a moment. He glanced at the cards  
nonchalantly, then slowly spread his own hand on the table. "Oh darn it all,"  
He said softly, as though he was talking to a young child, "And all I have  
is a Royal Flush!" His big grin spread across his face.  
  
Antoine's look of triumph fell off his face and flat onto the floor.  
"What?! How could you be winnings so many?!" He said, crumpling as he looked  
at his three queens. "It's eem-poss-eble!"  
  
The wildcat continued to smile. "I know, I know. I'm wonderful ain't  
I?" He asked, leaning back in his chair and sliding his sun-glasses off  
his forehead and over his eyes.  
  
"Vonderful?" Antoine snorted, "You es the most vain animal I have ever  
had ze displeazure of meetings! You even worse zan ze hedgehog!"  
  
"I heard that!" Sonic grumbled, still face down where he had supposedly  
fallen asleep on the control panel. "Would you guys shut-up, I'm trying to  
sleep here!"  
  
"Yeah, Tony, what cha tryin' to do?" Clawz said punching Antoine on the  
shoulder. "Spikes is tryin' to git some shut-eye!"  
  
"Me?! Your ze one whose making the rocket!" Antoine snapped.  
  
"Huh? Wha'd you say?" Clawz said confused. There was definitely a wide   
culture gap between the two. Both of them could barely understand a word the   
other said.  
  
"He means racket." Sonic muttered, still not opening an eye.  
  
"That's what I was saying, he's making the rocket!" Antoine defended,   
but not very effectively.   
  
"Yeah, whatever." Clawz said standing up, "Are you gonna play another   
game wit me or what?" Suddenly, as he stood up, five aces fell out of his  
belt. "Eh heh..." He mumbled nervously, "How'd those git there?"  
  
"AHA!" Antoine said practically jumping on him, "Cheater! You've been  
cheating all zis time! I never play ze poker weeth you again!"  
  
"Guys!" Sonic grumbled, "Will you shut the--"  
  
Suddenly a loud siren-like wail came from the computer speakers   
interrupting their argument. Sonic jumped a mile in the air, then, still   
half asleep, he fumbled over the control panel pushing buttons and pulling  
levers to kill the noise. Finally, he accidentally hit the right button  
with his elbow and the loud noise dissipated.  
  
All three of them were silent for a moment as they stared at the   
computer screen in bewilderment. Clawz was the once to break the silence.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" He said, rubbing his ears.  
  
"I don't know...." Sonic said cautiously leaning forward to inspect  
the computer screen.  
  
"Ees zere a tele-pone ringing somewheres?" Antoine asked, crawling  
out from under the card table where he had hidden when the siren sounded.  
  
"Sonic," A dull feminine voice said, seemingly coming from nowhere,   
"There are intruders coming into the Knothole proximity at northern perimeter."  
  
"Who said that?!" Clawz said as he searched for the source of the   
voice frantically.  
  
"Don't worry, Clawz it's just Nicole." Sonic said picking up a small  
computer unit from beside the larger one.   
  
"Wha...?" Clawz said looking over Sonic's shoulder. "Ohhh! Cool a   
'Game-Boy'!" He exclaimed, "Do you have Pokemon?"  
  
Nicole answered for herself. "I am not implemented with any entertainment  
programs. And I am NOT a 'Game-Boy'." You could almost sense a bit of hostility  
in her voice when she said the last sentence. She put emphasis on the 'not'.  
  
"Sorry." Clawz said softly.  
  
"Weel someone please answer zat tele-pone!" Antoine yelled, but they  
ignored him and continued.  
  
"There are intruders coming into the Knothole proximity at northern   
perimeter." Nicole repeated, her screen flashing. "We must take offensive  
action to evade them from crossing our boundaries. Unknown objects or beings   
entering our area could cause to be a major problem."  
  
"I guess Sally put this program in after you came in." Sonic said  
turning and addressing the big wildcat behind him.  
  
Clawz just laughed and shrugged it off.   
  
"She's right though." Sonic said pointing to the main computer. "There's  
somebody, or something coming close to our north side. I better go check it  
out. You two go wake up Sally and the others, unless they didn't wake up  
when that alarm sounded."  
  
"Yessir!" Clawz said giving him a salute. It felt good to be a part  
of a team again. This time a team working for a lot better causes than money  
and burglary. "C'mon Tony," He said grabbing Antoine's sleeve, "We gotta   
wake everybody up!"  
  
"What?" Antoine yelled, as if to hear his own voice.  
  
"Wake everybody up!" Clawz repeated.  
  
"Fake cranberry soup??" Antoine asked with a more than perplexed   
expression on his face.  
  
Clawz rolled his eyes and tugged the confused fox out the door.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Lights flashed through the trees, skimming the forest in search of the  
escaped girl. It was dark, and all the insects and other night noises seemed to  
have died. Died like everyone else. Died like she would if they ever caught.  
She would be killed, or silenced into a life of eternal torment as a robot.  
She could hear her own heart thumping in her chest. She couldn't go on much   
longer. So tired, so thirsty, so scared... But she had to, maybe if there  
was anyone left, she could still help them. She couldn't do it alone, though.  
  
Suddenly a light shone in her face, "Surrender organic being! Priority  
three, surrender or be terminated!" A loud robotic voice ordered.  
  
She dashed away seconds before a rain of lasers turned the tree she  
was hiding behind into burning splinters. They had been saying that for hours.  
They would kill her even if she did surrender. She wasn't about to give up.  
Not when she had come so far... They were gaining, and she couldn't run any  
longer. They were faster than her, and it had taken all of her strength to  
get past them, but now...  
  
Suddenly a huge blue blur whooshed by her and up into a tree.  
  
"Hey, SWAT-butts!" Someone called, "Why don't you pick on someone yer  
own speed?"   
  
The robots suddenly halted, "Priority one, destroy!" They all droned,  
shooting up into the tree where the voice had come from. The blur dashed  
out of that tree faster than she could blink.   
  
She felt so dizzy...  
  
"HA ha!" The blur laughed, as it stopped in front of the bots, "Missed  
me! I think you guys need a little target practice!" It was a young blue  
hedgehog. A blue hedgehog??  
  
The bots shot at him, but he would always zip away just before the  
laser hit him. He went so fast in circle around the four robots, as they  
continued trying to shoot him, they accidentally shot each other. Soon they  
were all laying in a big sparking pile.  
  
"You guys make it just _too_ easy!" Sonic laughed. He turned around to  
see the girl leaning up against a tree. It was too dark to see exactly what  
she looked like, but he approached her anyway. "Hey... Are you all right?"  
He asked.  
  
She turned to him and just about screamed bloody murder. "YOU! You..  
You stay away from m-me!" She yelled backing away.   
  
"Lady, it's okay, don't--" He said, but as he stepped towards her she  
turned and began to run. As soon as she did, she tripped over a tree root and  
fell, hitting her head on a rock.  
  
Sonic hurried to her and turned her over. She was unconscious. He touched  
her forehead, then strained to look at his hand in the moonlight. He saw blood.  
He picked her up slowly. 'Damn. How come I always get to carry the bodies?'  
he thought, 'At least she isn't heavy as Clawz.' He sped away back towards  
Knothole, with the girl in tow.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"See? Isn't it great!" Knuckles said, patting the big white jewel  
happily. He and Archimedes were in the Chaos Chamber now, inspecting the  
newest addition, a large diamond, which Knuckles had said to be the contrast  
of the Chaos Emerald. In other words, this certain diamond represented a  
un-warlike, or peaceful spirit.  
  
"Well it certainly is a sight." Archimedes said taking off his hat  
and scratching his head. "Very beautiful, too." He added, "May I ask where   
you found it?"  
  
"Nack the Weasel had it. I don't know how. He must have found it some  
where and stolen it, not even knowing what exactly it was." Knuckles said,  
"He'd steal anything that glitters."  
  
"Hmmm. Interesting." Archimedes mumbled. 'It was a marvel they had  
even lived through the flood, but Knuckles had saved them in the nick of time.  
His father had even doubted his son's abilities, but now Knuckles has shown  
to be quite surprisingly able with his duties, or even more so. And now he  
had found a diamond the size of the Chaos Emerald. Why hadn't Locke foreseen   
any of this? Or maybe he did and just didn't tell me...' Archimedes thought.  
  
"I can feel it even now..." Knuckles said, leaning down and putting  
the side of his face up against the top of the diamond. "It's a great feeling.  
Come up here." He said, picking the fire ant up and setting him beside him.  
  
Definitely it was. He could feel a surprising warmth, but then a   
soothing coolness, that washed over your body in gentle waves giving you an  
altogether calm and dreamy feeling. It almost made you want to fall asleep,  
not at all like the powerful rush that you got from the Chaos Emerald. Maybe  
Knuckles was right about it's being a Diamond of Peace.   
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"Well, where is she?!" Robotnik roared, his voice echoing though the  
metallic hallways.  
  
"Well er.. Master Robotnik.." The hedgehog robot stammered, "It seems  
that.. Eh, according to this report... The hover-units that we sent after  
her were... Well... Demolished."  
  
"WHAT?!" Robotnik yelled.  
  
"It seems, sir, that the Freedom Fighters are behind this. The hover  
bots went offline around the edge of the Great Forest around the area where  
we belive their base is located."  
  
"Horrid animals!" He growled. "That hedgehog shall pay for this!!"  
He turned and glared at the blue robotic hedgehog in front of him. "I did  
not constuct you to fail, Mecha." He growled angrily.  
  
The robot stepped backwards. "Sir, sir! No don't get hasty now! I  
have come up with a plan to catch both the girl, and the Freedom Fighters!"  
  
Robotnik's face lit up. "Ahh, my wonderful creation! I'm all ears  
for this brilliant plan of yours!" He said grinning evilly.  
  
"It's all very simple really." The robot said, his ego returning. "The  
girl will want to return to her home, the one that we destroyed, to search  
for her family. Living beings are sentimental like that, all except for you  
Master Robotnik."  
  
Robotnik was still grinning. "Of course, of course. I am superior."  
  
"Anyway, she'll probably get the Freedom Fighters to help her. So,  
all we do is set up camp there, and wait for the insects to fly into the  
spider-web." He explianed proudly.  
  
"Ah Mecha, you could only be my genius creation!" Robotnik praised.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Sonic had entered Knothole again to find everyone standing in  
a crowd in the open courtyard. Seeing him, they all instantly crowded around  
him asking questions all at once. Sally pushed her way through the crowd.  
  
"Sonic!" She yelled. "What in the world is going on around--" Suddenly  
she noticed he was carrying someone. Something was dripping off her head,  
and it only took her a second to realize it was blood. "Oh my God!" She   
yelped, "What happened?"  
  
"Yeah Sonic, what didja do to her?" Clawz asked.  
  
"I saved her that's what!" He snapped back defensively, "She fell and  
hit her head. We better get her to the infermary."  
  
"Everybody move back!" Sally ordered, pushing the crowd away. "We got  
a injured animal here!"  
  
Everyone did as they were told, but continued asking questions. Most  
of the questions were "What happened?, "Who is she?" and Antoine asking for  
"Someone to answer that tele-pone!"  
  
They quickly made their way to the medical center.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Two: "Forgive and Forget"  
  
  
  
  
Suddenly a strong smell flooded her nose. She snorted and pushed  
the small bottle away from her face. She opened her eyes to find several  
people leaning over her.  
  
"Good, good." A big yellow duck said, "That woke her up." He put a  
cork in the bottle of Epsom salts.  
  
"Wha.. What... Where am I?" The girl asked softly.  
  
"Shhh, now dear." Rosie said, putting a wet cloth on her forehead.  
"We just wanted to make sure you could wake up again. You got quite a bump  
on the head. The doctor thought you might have gone into a coma. Go back to   
sleep now."  
  
"A Doctor? Am I in a hospital?" The girl asked, ignoring the elderly  
woodchuck's words.   
  
"Well sort of." Rosie said. "You're exhausted, dear. You need to  
sleep now. Sorry we woke you up."  
  
"But.. But I.. I have to..." She said.  
  
"Here, this'll help her rest." The doctor said.  
  
The girl felt a sharp pain in her arm then she suddenly felt overwhelmingly  
sleepy. She closed her eyes and instantly fell into a deep sleep. She didn't   
wake up until noon the next day.  
  
She sat up slowly and looked around the white, clean, and unfamiliar  
room. She felt something on her head. She put her hand to her forehead and  
touched it gingerly. A bandage. It was sore. Her whole body was sore as a   
matter of fact. She had bruises and small cuts all over her. She pulled the   
cover off her and slowly stood up beside the bed. She noticed she wasn't   
wearing any clothes. She felt cold, scared, and alone...  
  
"Oh good! You've awakened!" Rosie said as she carried a meal tray into   
the room. "How do you feel today?" She asked, setting it on a small table  
at the bedside.  
  
"Owch." The girl said as she sat back down on the side of the bed.  
  
"Yes, I see. You look a bit beat up, poor thing." Rosie said sitting  
beside her. "Why were all those SwatBots chasing you, anyway?"  
  
The girl turned and gave her a confused look, "Swat.. Bots...?" She  
said slowly.  
  
"Yes. Sonic said those were the robots that were chasing you."  
  
"Sonic? Robots? I don't remember that..." She mumbled.  
  
"Really?" Rosie said, growing with concern, "What do you remember?"  
  
She stared down at the floor with a tightened expression. "I.. I don't  
remember anything... Except you and the doctor and... And that I was supposed  
to do... Something..." She mumbled, trying hard to think, but it was all too  
cloudy.  
  
"Doctor!" Rosie called out the door, "You're patient has waken up!"  
  
He walked in casually, carrying his medical bag. A nurse followed him  
carrying another tray with medicine and syringe injection fluid on it.  
  
"Well hello again, young lady!" He said addressing the girl.  
  
She said nothing, but just frowned.  
  
"She seems to be experiencing some amnesia, Doctor Quack." Rosie said.  
  
"Amnesia, eh?" He said almost cheerfully, "It's been a long time since  
I've had one of these!" He bent down and pulled out a magnifying glass and  
inspected her eyes. "Tell me my dear," He said as he put on his stethoscope,  
"What is your name?"  
  
"I.. I don't know..." She said softly.  
  
"Mmm hmm. Do you know how old you are?" He asked, pausing momentarily.  
  
"No. I.. I don't remember anything." She said.  
  
"Do you know what year it is?" He asked.  
  
"I don't remember anything." She repeated, beginning to grow annoyed.  
  
The doctor leaned forward and put the circle end of his stethoscope  
to her. She flinched and pulled away, giving him an absolutely violated  
glare.   
  
"Now don't worry dear." Rosie said soothingly, "He's just trying to  
check your heart beat."  
  
She eased a little, but still felt uncomfortable when he put that  
cold piece of metal against her breast. She made a disgusted face and watched  
him very closely, making sure he wasn't enjoying it. She had all ready  
decided she didn't like him very much.  
  
"Perfectly normal." The doctor said, taking off his stethoscope and  
putting it back into his bag. "Those wounds should heal easily." He said  
nodding to her head, and the bruises on her arms and legs. "You should get  
cleaned up. Take a shower or something. There's only so much we can do about  
your memory though. It might return, it might not. Just keep an open mind."  
  
She nodded sadly.  
  
"Here, take this. It'll help the scarring and the bleeding on your   
head there." He said handing her some pills and a glass of water off the   
nurses' tray. "I would also like to take a blood sample to do further tests,   
and for records, and DNA identification."  
  
The girl looked rather agitated, but let the nurse give her the shot.  
She flinched and rubbed her arm after, but didn't make a big fuss. She took  
the pills as the doctor and his nurse left.  
  
"Are you all right?" Rosie asked.  
  
"Fine. Just a little scared I guess." She mumbled.  
  
"That's reasonable." Rosie said standing up, "Come on. We'll go get  
you cleaned up now, okay?"  
  
She nodded and began to follow her out the door.  
  
Rosie stopped her. She stared at the girl for a moment with perplexidy.  
Her eyes looked her up and down.   
  
Uhh... Maybe we should get you some clothes first."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Sally sat at her desk with her small computer Nicole flipped open.  
Beside the unit was a petri dish with a red substance in it. Sally pulled  
out a small tab implement out of Nicole's side and used a q-tip to put a  
drop of the liquid onto it. She then slid it back into Nicole's side.  
  
"Nicole," She said, "Analyze blood sample and match with DNA readings  
to all known Mobians existing before the Coup."   
  
It was a blood sample the doctor had given her from the girl Sonic  
had saved the night before.  
  
"Analyzing, Sally." Nicole said, and beeped softly as screens of numbers  
flashed down her screen. After a couple of seconds, it stopped. "Sample  
analyzed. Three known closely related DNA samples taken before the take  
over. One exact match." Nicole droned.  
  
"Show exact match, Nicole." Sally said.  
  
A profile popped onto the screen. There was a birth certificate, and  
DNA readings. Sally scrolled back up to the original profile. "Oral report,  
Nicole." She said, then sat back to listen.  
  
"Name: Shelia ClearWaters, species: red fox/squirrel hybrid. Daughter  
of Ceclia Minora ClearWaters and Lt. Commander James ClearWaters. Born:   
February 7th, 3019. Declared dead, or roboticized at age six, two months   
after Robotnik's takeover."  
  
"Interesting. Save file. Show profiles of other related DNA samples."  
Sally said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Name: James R. ClearWaters. Species: red fox vulpine. Commander   
Lt. of the fourth artillery squadron in the Great War against the   
Overlanders. Married Cecilia Minora August 24th, 2995. Died during battle   
on May 17th on duty in the last year of the war." Nicole reported.  
  
'That must be her father. A war commander, eh?' Sally thought to herself,  
'This could prove useful.' She tapped the page down button for the next  
profile.  
  
"Name: Cecilia Minora. Species: common eastern squirrel. Married  
James ClearWaters August 24th, 2995. Mother of two children, Jeremy and   
Shelia ClearWaters. Declared dead or roboticized at age 49, two months after   
Robotnik's take over."  
  
Sally pressed page down again.  
  
"Name: Jeremy R. ClearWaters. Species: red fox/squirrels hybrid. Born:  
August 17th, 3014. Son of James and Ceclia ClearWaters. Admitted into  
Mobotropolis Armed Forces Academy at age 8. Declared dead or roboticized   
at age 10, two months after Robotnik's take over."  
  
'This is weird.' Sally thought, 'Why does Nicole say all these animals   
are supposed to be dead, when we just found one of them still alive?'   
  
She pondered a while then saved all the files and shut-down Nicole.   
She clipped the small computer onto her boot and headed out the door. She  
opened the door and right as she was about to step out, Nicole went to   
beeping. She bent down and flipped it open again.  
  
"What's the problem Nicole?" She said, a bit agitatedly.  
  
"Incoming message, Sally." Nicole said.  
  
Sally was a bit surprised. "Now who would be sending me a message?" She  
said, pushing a couple buttons.  
  
Clawz, Sonic, Bunnie, and Antoine were sitting in the courtyard. Clawz  
and Bunnie were arguing about something, but stopped when they overheard  
Sally's thinking out loud. They walked over to see what was up.   
  
"Yo, Sal!" Sonic said standing beside her, "Who's the message from?"  
  
"Wow! the game-boy's a mail-box too!" Clawz said.   
  
Nicole promptly sent a shock wave through him.  
  
"Nicole!" Sally scolded.  
  
"Sorry, Sally. I couldn't help myself." She said.  
  
Bunnie laughed, "Serves ya right, ya Yankee!" She said to the now   
crispy wildcat.   
  
He grimaced. "Ah, go back to yer plantation..." He growled.  
  
"Are vous inzulting moui lady?" Antoine growled back, stepping between  
the two of them.  
  
"Quiet all of you!" Sally demanded. They all followed orders, but  
gave each other nasty side-glances. "It's from the Floating Island. I've  
established the link. Here goes." She said and switched to hologram mode.  
  
"Sally?" Knuckles said as he appeared.  
  
"Knux!" Clawz said happily.   
  
"Oh, hey there Clawz!" Knuckles said smiling. "How've you been?"  
  
"Great, man! This place is a paradise compared t'where I usually hang."  
He said. "I got me a place uh my own!"  
  
"That's cool Clawz, but I really called to talk to the Princess..." He  
said, a bit reluctantly.  
  
"Oh, sorry there L.P.," He said to Sally, "Didn't mean t'innterupt er  
nothin'." L.P. was Clawz's name for her. It stood for 'Little Princess'.  
  
Sally sighed. She hated when he called her that, but said nothing. He  
was trying to be polite. She turned back to the hologram and spoke to Knuckles,  
"Yes? What's the matter?" She asked.  
  
"Nothings the matter. I've been meaning to ask you for use of your   
laboratory facilities. I also need to ask a few questions to your ranks." He  
said, converting to professional mode.  
  
"Pertaining to what?" Sally asked, a little confused.  
  
"The diamond I found. I was hoping Rotor could run some more tests."  
He said, "And I'd like to ask around and see if anyone else you know has  
ever seen anything like it, that is, if you don't mind..."   
  
"Of course not, Knuckles." She said, "Your always welcome here."   
  
Sonic snorted and gave Sally a stare, but she didn't seem to notice.   
  
"When will you be coming?" She asked cheerfully.  
  
"The island's course should take by your forest in a couple of days."  
He paused to think a minute, "Ah, about three days. Thursday, probably around  
the middle of the day. That all right?"  
  
"That's great." She said smiling. "I'll be looking forward to seeing  
you again."  
  
"Yeah, me too, Sally." He said, then vanished, as she cut the computer  
off and clipped Nicole onto her boot again.  
  
Sonic looked like he was going to explode. "What did you do that for?!"  
He asked angrily, "We've got a mission that day! And... And we don't need  
HIM sticking his big nose in!"  
  
"Aw, come on Sonic." She said already walking away. "How come you  
still don't trust him? He's our friend! It's only a simple maintenance mission,  
and we can postpone it a day. Besides, maybe he'll be able to help us, too."  
  
Sonic ran after her, "Yeah, well, you don't have to get so friendly  
with him, ya know!" He snapped.  
  
She sighed, "Don't be like that. You get jealous anytime he's around."  
  
Sonic frowned, "I do not!" He insisted, "He's just.. I just don't  
like him that much anyway. I know you and him used to--"  
  
"Sonic, we've already had this conversation! But if you want to bring   
it up again, I might not say the same thing!" She said stopping suddenly  
and turning to face him.  
  
"Whatta you mean?" He said, stopping right in front of her.  
  
"I mean maybe I do have feelings for Knuckles. Maybe I'd rather be   
with him than you. At least he's definitely more level-headed than you!" She   
said shaking a finger at him.  
  
Sonic looked taken aback for a moment, then grew even more angry.   
"Oh yeah?" He growled, not able to come up with much else.  
  
"Yeah!" Sally retorted, and slammed the door to the infermary in his   
face. Sonic just stood there staring at the door with frustration.  
  
"Don't let her get yah down, Sugah-Hog." Bunnie said, putting her  
normal hand on his shoulder. All the others had followed them, hoping to  
over-hear a bit of the action. "Ah'm sure she's just a-tryin' ta make yah  
jealous, that's all." Bunnie said comfortingly.  
  
"Yeah." Sonic said softly. "I wish.. I wish I could just... Never mind."   
He said then sped off to the power ring pool.  
  
"They do that a lot?" Clawz asked.   
  
"Oui." Antoine said, "They always be fightings. I've never be understanding  
what she sees en heem." He said dryly.  
  
"Oh, come on, Sugah." Bunnie said to him, "Sonic is a real nice guy.   
Him and Sally-girl just don't see eye to eye on uh few things, that's all."  
  
"Whatever." Clawz said, still a bit confused. "Let's go after Sally  
and see what she's up to."  
  
"Ah don't know if'n we should. She might wanna be by herself fer a lil'  
while." Bunnie said.  
  
"Well, I'm going to see what's up." Clawz said, ignoring her and   
beginning to open the door.  
  
"Ah said, I think we should wait uh'while." Bunnie said sternly, grabbing  
his arm and pulling him back.  
  
"Hey! Lay off will ya! You tryin' to crush m'arm er somtin'??" Clawz  
asked angrily, thowing her robotic hand off him.  
  
"Well maybe Ah wouldn't have'ta if'n you'd just listen to me!" She said.  
  
"Maybe I did listen, but I jus couldn't understand ya!" He snapped back.  
  
"Me? Look who's talking, Yankee!" She said, "Why don't you just take   
yer big, mangy Yankee hide outta here and go back where you came from!"   
  
"Mangy?!" He growled, "Well at least I don't look like a walkin' tin  
can!" He snapped.  
  
That did it. Bunnie slapped him right across the mouth with her robotic  
hand, sending him flying through the doors. Then she ran off in the other  
direction.  
  
"What in the world--?" Sally said as she walked out into the hall to  
find Clawz laying on the floor in front of her. Suddenly Antoine jumped  
into the hall and grabbed Clawz by the neck.   
  
"You idiot! You have 'urt ze feelings of moui Bunnie!" He growled.  
  
Clawz pushed him away and stood up and rubbed his jaw. Sally rushed in   
between them before anything else could happen.  
  
"What is going on here!?" She demanded.  
  
"He's be dizgracing my lady!" Antoine yelled.  
  
"What?" Sally asked.  
  
"He call-ed my Bunnie 'ten walking cans'!" He said.  
  
It took Sally a moment to get his meaning. Bunnie was half-roboticized  
when she was young, but Sonic was able to save her before the process was  
completed. Even though she now possessed super-strength in her robotic limbs,  
Bunnie still saw it as a burden on her back. She felt forever scarred with  
a monstrosity.   
  
Clawz said something but it didn't come out right. He grabbed his  
mouth in pain. There was a snap as he popped his jaw back into place.  
  
"Antoine! Did you hit him?" Sally asked in surprise.  
  
"No." He said a bit sheepishly, "Bunnie's be doing zat."  
  
Sally tuned back to the wildcat, "Well you deserve it! How dare  
you make fun of something she can't help!"  
  
"She insulted me first!" Clawz defended.  
  
"It doesn't matter!" Sally snapped, "How would you like it if someone  
made fun of a disability you had? That's like insulting a blind man for  
not being able to see! Even if Bunnie doesn't really have a disability, she  
certainly still isn't secure when people make fun of her!"  
  
"But I--" Clawz started.  
  
"But nothing!" Sally interrupted, "Here in Knothole we're a team, and  
we get along! Even if we do have out differences, we are a team, no matter  
what!"   
  
"Aw c'mon L.P., you were just fighting yourself!" Clawz said.  
  
She stopped, suddenly realizing she was contradicting herself. She  
had only fought with Sonic five minutes ago. She sighed sadly. "We all make   
mistakes and say things we really don't mean. We remember others have feelings   
too. We apologize when we know we were wrong. I want you to apologize to   
Bunnie." She said softly.  
  
Clawz frowned, but nodded anyway. He started to walk out the door, but  
stopped and said something to Antoine. Antoine looked rather shocked. Clawz  
continued on and walked out the door. Antoine walked up beside the Princess.  
  
"What did he say to you?" She asked.  
  
Antoine paused a moment, "He zaid zat he enjoyed playing ze cards with  
me, and zat he's was sorry for cheating." He said, confused.  
  
Even Sally was shocked. "Wow. I was afraid I didn't get through to him,  
but I guess I'm a better parent than I thought." She said, "He's a good guy,  
just a little mixed up. I guess it's just hard for him to show it. Now if   
you'll excuse me Antoine, I've got some of my own apologizing to do.."  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Legs, you in there?" Clawz called through the closed door.  
  
"Go away!" She yelled not even taking her face out of the pillow.  
  
"Lemme in. I wanna talk to ya..." He said.  
  
"Well, Ah don't wanna talk to you! Go away!" She yelled, sniffling.  
  
"Aw, c'mon. Please? Just hear me out will ya?" He asked softly.  
  
"No! Go away and leave me alone!" She repeated.  
  
"All right then, I'll just say what I wanted to say through these  
doors." He said stubbornly, then he sighed and his voiced changed all  
together. "I came to say... To say that I'm sorry."  
  
Bunnie didn't move.  
  
"I really am. I didn't mean to say that. I was just mad, that's all.  
I don't think your a 'walking tin can'. You're really pretty actually." He   
said. Surprisingly, he really did mean it, and even more surprisingly, he   
wasn't using any slang as he spoke. "It was a stupid thing to say, and I'm   
sorry." He said softly, leaning up against the door.  
  
Bunnie sat up and stared at the door. She wiped her eyes.  
  
Clawz continued, "I mean, I guess I've been kind of hard on everybody  
lately. Especially you and Tony. I guess I'm used to it, being who I am, or  
who I was." He paused. "I've been real confused lately. I never had any real   
friends like all you guys are to each other. I guess I was mad at myself,   
and I took it out on you. I don't really fit in around here, do I?" He   
admitted laughing. It was a fake laugh.  
  
Bunnie stood up.   
  
"Maybe I should leave." He said, "Go back where I came from, like you  
said. I.. I don't belong here. Nack was right. All I'll ever be is a thief  
who nobody wants."   
  
Suddenly the door opened and he fell backwards into the doorway and  
lay stunned on the floor with Bunnie looking down at him.  
  
She knelt down beside him. "Ah don't want you to leave." She said,  
"Ah forgive you... Even if you are uh Yankee."  
  
Clawz smiled. "Really?" He asked.  
  
"'Course I do!" She said, smiling too.  
  
He sat up.   
  
"You already are more than uh thief nobody wants." She said.  
  
"Are you saying you 'want' me?" He said smiling his usual smile again.  
  
Bunnie hit him over the head with her pillow.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"Hey Tails, have you seen Sonic?" Sally asked as she met him walking  
along the woodland paths.  
  
"Yeah, Aunt Sally, he was at the Power Ring Pool a minute ago. I went  
to talk to him, but he was in a pretty bad mood." He said looking up at her.  
  
"Yeah, I know why, too." She said softly.   
  
"Why?" Tails asked innocently.  
  
"Me, that's why. We had a fight." She admitted.  
  
"Oh. I kinda figured that." He said. "He said Knuckles was coming."  
  
Sally smiled, "You get smarter every time I blink." She said patting  
him on the head, "Now, scoot. I want to talk to him alone, if you don't mind."  
  
"All right, Aunt Sally. Good luck!" He said and flew away.  
  
"Thanks." She said, "I'll probably need it."   
  
She walked a little further until she came to clearing. There was a   
clear blue pond in the center, with a big log overhanging one side of it.   
The log reached out over the pool all the way to the center. If you stained   
your eyes a bit you could see the small vessel located at the pond's bottom,   
and atop it, was a shining blue stone. This was the machine that Sonic's   
Uncle Chuck had made to create small golden hoops, or Power Rings, that   
could give Sonic a boost of power when he needed it most. That's why this   
place was called the Power Ring Pool.  
  
Sonic was sitting at the end of the log staring into the water. He  
looked up as Sally entered. He glared at her for a second, then went back  
to staring at the pool. She walked around the edge of the water and sat at  
the opposite end of the log. Just as she was about to say something, Bunnie  
and Clawz came running into the clearing. They picked up rocks and started  
throwing them at each other like playing children.   
  
"Ack! No you don't!" Bunnie squealed, between peals of laughter.   
Clawz tried to pick her up and throw her in the pool. "Don't you dare! Ah'll  
sink like uh stone!"   
  
He continued anyway, but she was to heavy for him. She grabbed his  
arm and easily tossed him over her head and into the water instead. Antoine   
arrived just in time to get splashed. His uniform got drenched.  
  
Clawz came up sputtering wildly. He practically flew out of that water.  
"No fair!" He yelled. He shook off quickly and resumed chasing Bunnie around   
in circles. She couldn't talk she was laughing so hard.   
  
"What en ze name of Mobius iz goings on around 'ere?!" Antoine asked.  
  
"Either they've made up or they're fighting very strangely." Sally said,   
giving the two a confused glare.  
  
"Vell, I think they've both gone nutz!" Antoine said.  
  
"All right! Times!" Bunnie called. They both stopped suddenly and   
stood panting and smiling beside one another. They tried to put on straight  
faces, but either one would start laughing and make the other laugh.  
  
"Look! You've soak-ed my bones!" Antoine scolded.  
  
"Yeah Bunnie, what ya tryin' t'do?" Clawz said sarcastically, elbowing   
her playfully.  
  
She laughed, "Sorry Sugah!" She said, "Didn't mean t'get ya'll wet,  
just this here crazy critter." She said, elbowing Clawz back.   
  
"Your right Ant, I think they have gone nuts." Sonic said.  
  
"Vell, anyway..." Antoine started rolling his eyes, "I came down 'ere   
to tell vou zat ze girl iz awakened." He said, squeezing the water from his   
coat.  
  
"You mean the girl I saved?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Oui, that iz whom I'm meaning." Antoine said stiffly, "Now eff you  
have gotten all ze silliness out of vous..." He said giving Bunnie and Clawz  
a glance, "Rozie wants uz to meet her."  
  
They all began to follow him as he left, heading to the main courtyard  
where they had been before. Sonic started down the log then stopped when he  
saw Sally standing at the end. They stared at each other for a moment, then  
Sonic jumped off the log onto the shore. Sally felt hurt as he turned his   
back to her and began to follow the others. She opened her mouth to stop him,  
but decided to wait. She could apologize later. Right now she had some   
questions for that girl he saved last night...   
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, wow!" She girl said softly as she and Rosie stepped into the  
open courtyard. "So many trees! Are we in a forest?"  
  
Rosie nodded. "The Great Forest. Are you sure you're all right?"  
  
She smiled weakly, "Yeah, I feel a lot better after that bath. Thanks  
for finding me some clothes." She said, picking at her sleevless pink dress.  
  
"Well I'm just glad we could find something that fits you while your  
original clothes are being washed." Rosie said. "Most younger animals like  
you don't wear any clothes."  
  
"Maybe I should've not worn them then." She said, feeling a bit misplaced.  
  
"Oh, no no, my dear. You look er.. Perfectly fine." Rosie said, trying   
to ease her mood. "You have reasons to be a little modest..."  
  
The girl blushed. She knew Rosie was talking about her body. She had   
found out when she got her first look at herself in a mirror that she was   
a very well built female. She did feel more comfortable in clothes. Besides,   
it was cold outside.   
  
"Well, I'm sure you'll like it here." Rosie said   
  
"I hope so... I feel kinda out of place." She said.  
  
"Our little team is made up of animals probably of your age. They're   
very nice, and I'm sure they'll make you feel welcome." Rosie said reassuringly.  
"I told them to come here and meet you."  
  
"Oh, is that them?" She said pointing behind her.  
  
Rosie turned to see Antoine and the others just coming out of the  
woods. She smiled. "Yes. Come over here, dear." She said, motioning for the  
girl to follow. They walked into the center of the courtyard and stood  
waiting for the others to meet them.  
  
Sonic was walking with his head down. The more he thought about what  
Sally had said to him, the madder he got. She was just trying to make him  
jealous. He hated when she did that. He frowned sadly. Or maybe what she   
said was true...  
  
Clawz's wispered exclamtaion innterrupted his thoughts. "Woah, man!"  
He said leaning back to him, "Is _that_ the chick you saved?"  
  
"Huh?" Sonic said looking up. At first he was confused at the wildcat's  
meaning, but then he set eyes on the girl.   
  
She was beautiful. She was a brilliant scarlet-furred vixen. She had a   
slender build and an elegant emerald green eyes shone in the soft, dimming   
light that cascadded over her like waves as the leaves in the trees above her   
moved with the gentle breeze. Her face was a delicate white, thin and clean.   
She looked like she would break if touched, so fragile was her smile. She   
had a full and mature bust, and shapely hips that flowed into her legs with   
soft and sexy curves. Her blonde and brown hair was thick, with long wavy   
locks that ended at her shoulder blades in little curls.   
  
"W-wow..." Sonic mumbled. He took a moment to stop staring and collect himself.  
  
Antoine was the first to greet her. "Bonjor Madmosele, eet is being a  
pleazure to meet vou." He said as bowed to her. "Moui name iz Antoine   
D'Coolete, vou may called me Antoine."  
  
"Nice t'meet you too..." She said, looking a bit confused, "I.. I   
don't know my name..." She said softly. "They say I have amnesia."  
  
"Well ain't dat a shame?" Clawz said practically pushing Antoine out  
of the way. "M'Name's Clawz, but you can call me anything you want.." He  
said winking at her.  
  
She frowned, "Uh, yeah, sure..." She said.  
  
Sally rolled her eyes, then spoke up "My name is Sally, and I think I   
may have something that will intrest you." She said addressing the girl.  
  
"Really?" She asked. "About what?"  
  
"I did some research using your blood sample. Your DNA exactly matches   
that of a Shelia ClearWaters, whom supposedly died after Robotnik's takeover."   
She said a bit suspiciously. "Does any of that ring a bell?"  
  
"Shelia...?" The girl asked herself. "That does sound familiar... But  
all that other stuff... I don't know what your talking about..."  
  
'How convientient.' Sally thought coldly. 'I bet she's a spy working  
for Robotnik. And what nerve has she got, strutting in here and disturbing  
the peace?' She grew a bit jealous 'And where did she get that body? She's  
just a big show off. I wish I looked like that...'   
  
"What was your name again?" The girl asked, "Sally? That's kind of  
a plain name, isn't it?"  
  
Suddenly Sally felt like punching her in the stomach.  
  
Bunnie cleared her throat. "Ah'm Bunnie." She said extending her   
robotic hand to shake. 'Shelia' gasped.  
  
She had not noticed Bunnie before, but now she was a bit frightened.   
"Oh.. My..." She said softly, "What.. What happened...?"  
  
Bunnie stiffened. She pulled her robotic hand away, and extened her  
normal one. "Ah wus half-roboticized." She said trying to smile, "Ah won't   
bite." She hated how people always reacted like this to her. What a way to  
make a first impression.  
  
The girl reached out and shook her hand tentively. 'How awful...' She  
thought, but said, "Nice to meet you."  
  
Sonic stepped up and kissed her hand warmly.   
  
A little too warmly Sally thought.   
  
"Hello, Shelia." He said, standing up straight again. "We don't get   
beautiful visitors like you often."  
  
Suddenly Sally felt like punching Sonic in the stomach.  
  
"Oh, thank you." Shelia said blushing.  
  
"Why don't I show you around Knothole?" He offered.  
  
She smiled, "That's awfully nice of you."  
  
"Uh, Sonic..." Sally said eyeing him, "I wanted to ask her some   
questions first."  
  
"Aw, c'mon Sal. Don't be such a stiff. You can ask her questions later."  
  
"I wanted to ask them NOW." She said, trying not to raise her voice.  
  
Shelia looked a bit caught up. "Er.. Maybe I should just go back--"  
  
"No, no!" Sonic urged, "It'll be all right. Won't it Princess?" He  
said bitterly. Sonic only used her formaility to address her when he was   
angry.  
  
"Princess?" Shelia asked surprised. She turned to Sally, "Your a   
princess?!"   
  
Sally sighed. "Yes, yes I am." She said, cooling off a bit. "Princess  
Sally Alicia Acorn. So what?" She practically spat.  
  
"Oh, wow! I'm so sorry your majesty! I didn't know!" She said, curtseying.  
  
"Please.. Please, just call me Sally." She said.  
  
"Of course, your-- er, I mean Sally." She said. "Maybe I should go with  
you first, if it's important..."  
  
Sally sighed again. "I.. I don't care. Go with Sonic for now. I'll  
talk to you later." She said walking away. "I have a headache..."   
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
"I have asked Princess Sally for access to her labs down in Knothole.  
I thought I would stay there a couple of days and ask the others about the  
diamond. I'd also like to ask Clawz some questions..." Knuckles said.  
  
"Very good. We'll round up the Chaotix to guard the island while your  
gone. If you don't mind me asking, who is this Clawz character?" Archimedes  
asked, as he sat atop the thick leather book.  
  
Knuckles looked a little uncomfertable. "Er... Well, he was my friend  
when I was a kid."  
  
Archimedes looked surprised. "Really...? That's interesting. I thought  
as a child and aprintice guardian you were to be isolated with your father."  
He said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Eh.. Yeah, I was... Supposed to..." Knuckles said.  
  
"You mean you did anyway!?" Archimedes choked.  
  
"Maybe... All right, yes I did." Knuckles admitted. "Twice."  
  
"Twice?!" Arcmides yelled.   
  
"C'mon Archimedes, don't blow your top! That was a long time ago..."  
Knuckles said, trying to calm the fire ant.  
  
"Your apprinticeship is one of the most important time of development  
for a Guardian! How could you ruin it?" He continued.  
  
"I was young and lonely... and a little stupid, but all I wanted back   
then was a friend. You've gotta understand, they were the only friends I have   
ever had before I met the Chaotix..." He said.  
  
Archimedes sighed. "That's understandable... But, Knuckles it's against  
the sacred rule. You know that." He said.  
  
"Well, what do you want me to do now? I can't change what happened  
ten years ago." Knuckles defended turning away from him.  
  
"I know you can't. But everyone still pays for their mistakes, even  
if they were commited ten years ago." Archimedes said sternly.  
  
Knuckles sat up straight, "So your going to punish me?" He asked   
sarcastically.  
  
Archimedes stern expression didn't change. "Maybe I am." He said.  
  
Knuckles looked surprised, "What? You can't do that!"  
  
"I have the athority." He said stubbornly. "You are under my tutelage."  
  
"But Archimedes, I can't get punished now! I have to go to Knothole.  
Princess Sally was the first..." Knuckles stopped.  
  
"Yes? Continue." He said, suddenly growing interested.  
  
Knuckles hesitated, but then spoke, "Sally was the first animal I  
ever met that was my age. I met her while her father and her were visiting  
the Floating Island on vacation. It was cool to have someone to relate to,  
her being rolaty and all. We had a lot in common. She was the first girl I  
ever met too..."  
  
"Ah, I think I see. Puppy love, eh?" Archimedes said smiling.  
  
Knuckles turned even redder than usual. "No.. Not really, I mean uh.."  
He mumbled.  
  
"And you never told your father about this?" Archimedes said.  
  
"No way!" Knuckles said, "Dad would've never undersood. I told Sally  
all by myself that I couldn't see her anymore. I knew it was against the  
rule to be with her, so I told her. But I regretted later when I heard  
Mobotropolis had been destroyed. I thought she was dead. Dad did know about  
Clawz though."   
  
'Yes. He must be the little theif Locke was talking about.' Archimedes   
thought. 'The one whose father tried to steal the Chaos Emerald.'  
  
"When I told him about it, he blew up, just like I knew he would. I  
was grounded for more than a month." Knuckles continued.  
  
Archimedes smiled, "I guess you have been punished enough." He said.  
"I know how it feels to be lonely, and I'm sure your father did too, but  
you must understand when you get back from Knothole we'll be going over the  
all the rules and rites until you've rememorized them." He said.  
  
Knuckles grumbled, but he knew he was getting off easy. "Thanks." He  
said standing up, "I'm going to go find Mighty and the others. Do you want  
to come?"  
  
"No thanks. I have some... Work to do." He said and dissapeared in  
a grey puff of smoke.  
  
  
  
*****   
  
  
  
Chapter Three: "The Girl with a Gun"  
  
  
  
Sally was sitting in her room again. Nicole was set up on the desk,  
but Sally was not working. A screen saver of falling rain was on the screen.  
It matched Sally's mood. The last couple of days had been nothing but work  
and misery. They had gone on three recon missions, but all had failed. One  
more of their ranks had been roboticized. Not to mention Sonic and her were  
still fighting. He seemed to always be busy with the new girl, Shelia, all  
the time.   
  
'What a jerk he is.' She thought, 'I bet he's just doing all of this  
to get back at me. I wish he didn't have to be so persistent about, though.'  
She smiled, 'Ha! Look at me! Jealous of that little tramp. I guess this is  
how Sonic feels when I talk about Knuckles or Geoffery.' She sighed. 'I wish  
I could dig up some dirt on Shelia. She might be putting on an act. I bet  
she's lying about having amnesia. Or maybe she was a spy before she got hit  
on the head and she truly can't remember. Or maybe I'm just being suspicious.  
Maybe she's as harmless as she seems to be.'  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
Sally sat up on her bed where she had been laying with her hands under  
her head, staring up at the celing. She looked at the door. "Who is it?" She  
called. She hoped it was Sonic.  
  
"You in thar Sally-girl?" Bunnie called.  
  
"Oh, it's just you, Bunnie. Come in." She said flopping back down.  
  
"Well, Ah'm happy to see y'all too!" Bunnie said, a little hurt.  
  
"Sorry. I was hoping you were Sonic come to apologize." Sally said.  
  
"Now, Sally-girl, don't you think this' gone on long enough?" Bunnie  
asked, "I mean, you and Sugah-hog have had yer fights, but none really like  
this. You haven't been speakin t'him fer days."  
  
"I know, I know." Sally said, "I wish he would say he's sorry already."  
  
Bunnie sighed, "Did you ever think of apologizin' t'him first?" She  
said sitting beside her on the bed. It creaked slightly with her weight.  
  
Sally said nothing.  
  
"C'mon now, don't be givin me tha silent treatment. All I'm sayin' is  
that maybe for once you should show him yer vuanerable too. Nobody's perfect."  
  
Sally snorted, "Except Shelia."   
  
"Is that what's eatin' you?" Bunnie asked, "You jealous of her?"  
  
"Of course not!" Sally snapped, "That's the stupidest thing I ever  
heard! Hmmph! Me being jealous of HER...." She laughed.  
  
Bunnie stared at her skeptically.  
  
"Oh, all right maybe I am a little jealous." Sally admitted.  
  
"So why don't you tell him?" Bunnie asked.  
  
"What? No way. If I ever admitted that to him, he'd laugh in my face."  
  
"Not if he really cares about you." Bunnie said.  
  
Sally opened her mouth to say someting, but then closed it again. She  
stared at the ground for a moment. "I guess your right Bunnie. I am being  
childish. I should tell him how I feel about this. We're getting nowhere  
by not talking. That fluffed up peacock Shelia isn't going to steal my   
boyfriend!"  
  
"That a-girl!" Bunnie said happily.  
  
"Where is he anyway?" Sally said standing up.  
  
"Bird-watching." Bunnie said.  
  
"Huh?" Sally asked, confused.  
  
"All the guys are down by the meadow watching the target practice.  
Last time Ah saw 'em Sonic wus a-tryin' to teach "Ms. Peacock" how to use a  
cross bow."  
  
Sally snorted, "That ought to be a sight."  
  
"Yeah, lets go down thar n' see if'n she's killed anybody yet." Bunnie   
said jokingly.  
  
"Yeah!" Sally laughed. "C'mon lets go."  
  
They both headed out the door and through the courtyard until they  
came to the path leading to the meadow. They walked down it about a quarter  
of a mile until they came to a big grassy clearing which was usually used as  
a landing feild for Dulcy, they're crash-landing dragon. Now the feild was  
littered with red and white canvas bulls-eyes. Animals were lined up in front  
of them taking turns at shooting or throwing weapons like arrows, hatchets,  
and javeliens.   
  
Sally and Bunnie were greeted by Rotor and Clawz who were working at  
the sidelines on a small laser gun.  
  
"Where'd y'all find that?" Bunnie asked them.  
  
"One of the nurses found it in the pocket of Shelia old clothes." Rotor  
said. "It would work, but the magazine was dented where the amunition  
cartidge wouldn't fit into it."  
  
"Shelia was carrying a laser gun?" Sally asked herself. "Where did  
she get one of those...?"  
  
"I don't know Princess, but I was able to fix it. I straightened out   
the metal case, and Clawz was able to find some ammunition that fits in the   
parts we recovered from Robotropolis." He explained.  
  
"Have you tested it yet?" She asked.  
  
"Just about to L.P." Clawz said, picking up the small handgun. He  
approached one of the targets and stood in front of it.   
  
Sonic and Shelia, who were at the far end of the feild, came to see  
what was going on. Sally walked towards them.  
  
"What's going on Sally?" Shelia asked cheerfully.  
  
"Clawz is testing out a laser gun." She said a bit coldly, "One that  
was in your possession before the accident."  
  
Shelia looked puzzeled, "I had a gun?" She asked, "Let me see it."  
  
Before Sally or Sonic could protest, she had walked up behind Clawz,  
who was trying desprately to figure out how to shoot. She took the gun from   
him.  
  
"Hey, what are ya doin'?" He said, surprised.  
  
"I wanna try." She insisted. She inspected the gun for a moment then  
held it in front of her at an arms length. She titled her head and closed  
one of her eyes, aiming at the target. She pulled the trigger and instantly  
a bright purple beam shot out of the barrel and straight into the center  
of the bulls-eye. She didn't even flinch.  
  
Everyone was silent for a moment.  
  
"Let me try that." Sonic said walking up beside her. She handed him  
the gun and he aimed and shot, but comepletely missed the target. He looked  
at the gun in puzzlement. He gave it back to her. "Do that again." He asked.  
  
Shelia shrugged and aimed once more and landed another shot straight  
through the middle.  
  
Sonic looked at her in ammazement. He bent down and pulled a coin from   
his shoe. "I want you to try to shoot this." He said.  
  
Shelia aimed the gun at him, still holding the coin.  
  
"No! Wait until I throw it!" He yelled, ducking. Shelia hadn't shot  
yet anyway. He stood up again, wiping his brow, and then flung the little  
disk high into the air.   
  
Shelia watched, squinting in the sunlight, then raising her gun, she   
shot once up into the air. The coin fell seconds later. Sonic picked it up  
to find a perfectly centered hole burnt right through it.  
  
"Where in the world did you learn to shoot like that?!" Sally asked,  
practically yelling.  
  
"I don't know... I..." Suddenly she threw the gun onto the ground like  
it had burned her hand. She grabbed her head in pain and grew dizzy.   
  
Sonic caught her before she could fall. "Shelia! Are you all right?"  
He asked.  
  
"Ohhh..." She mumbled, tears brimming on her eyes.  
  
"I better get her back to the doctor." Sonic said, picking her up.  
  
"But Sonic, I wanted to talk to you." Sally said, trying to keep her  
mind on what she came here to do.  
  
"Can't it wait, Sal?" He asked, although he didn't wait for an answer,  
just zoomed off back down the path.  
  
Sally turned away. Her heart sank. 'Does he even care anymore...?' She  
thought sadly. She walked off in the opposite direction.   
  
Bunnie was about to follow her but Clawz caught her arm. She looked  
back at him. His usual big smile was now solemn. She sighed and they walked  
off back towards Knothole.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
"You see, Locke," Archimedes said as he spoke to Knuckles' father in  
his secret haven, "Knuckles is posing incredible strengths, more than any  
other guardian in recorded history! Besides the great Arora-Sa..."  
  
"But Knuckles? The one of the legend? Why him?" The bearded echidna  
said, picking up the ant and holding him in his hand in front of his face.  
  
"I don't know, sir." The ant replied, "But he did find the diamond."  
  
"Like the peice of the lost scrolls said." He mumbled.  
  
"And he did find the book." Archimedes said. "Knuckles is different  
than any other guardian I have studied. He may just be the one..."  
  
"My son?" Locke asked, almost proudly, "The reincarnation of the   
creator? I must see that book before I belive it."  
  
"As you say, master." Archimedes said and dissapeared, only to  
reapear a few seconds later with the 'Story of the Elements' underfoot.  
  
"Wonderful!" Locke said, "You must teach me how to do that sometime."  
  
"Sorry, fire-ant sacred secret." He said jokingly.  
  
At first, the older echidna just sat staring at the book with a   
unexpected saddness. He reached up and gently touched the worn cover. He  
smiled slightly. "It's been... Years since I've seen this book." He said  
finally. "I had always wanted to read it to Knuckles... But... I guess  
I was just afraid to." He said solemnly.  
  
"Afraid, Sir?" Archimedes asked.  
  
"Afraid it would remind me of my father. Afraid that I wouldn't be  
able to answer my own son's questions... And with Lara-Le gone... I suppose  
I didn't want anymore memories." He sighed.  
  
Archimedes was silent. He was frowning.  
  
Locke opened the book to find more than one page filled. This time  
the old fasioned femine-style writing extended over seven pages. There was  
a skillfully hand-drawn picture at the top of the second page.  
  
Archimedes gasped, "How... How did those get there?!" He asked.  
  
"She's beautiful..." Locke said indicating the picture. It was of a  
young echidna female, once a guardian of the stones, he could tell by the  
white ring arcross her chest. She was kneeling, with her head looking up at  
two large glittering jewels, one white and one black.  
  
"Is that Arora-Sa?" Archimedes asked softly, as they both stared at  
the picture in awe.  
  
"Yes... I remember now, this picture, when my father read it to me  
when I was young. This same picture was here in this book... That was so  
long ago, but I remember it so clearly..." He said. "I wish my father lived   
to explain it..."  
  
Archimedes looked at his master's sobering expression. He took off his   
hat and held it at his side.  
  
"When the world had colapsed in evil, the light shattered into  
four shards..." Locke recited from memory. "And the one with wisdom beyond  
her years was able to retrive them, only to concentrate them into a pure  
form of a stone. The spirits named her guardian, and marking her with a   
white blaze across the chest and around the neck, she and her ancestors   
would forever protect them. With the help of the four dieties of light, the   
first Guardian had created the four other jewels to imprision the evil. She   
trapped the spirits of darkness in them."  
  
"I know the story." Archimedes said, "But I have never actualy heard  
it in it's original form... Only as folklore passed down through generations."  
  
Locke turned the page. "It was different before though." He said, "That   
page was at the very back, at the end, not the beggining. The story in it's   
entirity was over three hundred pages long. I don't understand why it's here...   
Unless..." He trailed off.  
  
"Unless what, sir?" Archimedes asked.  
  
He was reading aloud now, "But over the thousand years that have passed  
the light has dimmed, and during the Great Breaking the one emerald was   
shattered into millions of pieces, each possessing the power of Kayoss, the  
most potent evil on the planet. When this happened, the seven other jewels  
were spread across the globe in hope of keeping the darkness at bay. For now  
there were many emeralds, each possesing the power enough to save, or destroy  
a entire world, and with the only way to attain balance was to hide the  
others from the evil. It was said that once again Kayoss would rise, but if  
the eight jewels were once again brought together, it's force would be  
destroyed, and there would be one emerald once more."  
  
"For treasure hunters have found a diamond, but through the odd twists   
of destiny, it was once again found by a Guardian. The next Chosen One, who  
shall once again hunt the stones, and put to them rightful place, beside the  
chaos, to keep it at bay until the others are found..."   
  
"Peace shall rule over, but not for long as the severing beauty of  
the mistress of Venus shall weaken and strengthen the One forever. The red   
shining jewel Love, a force of light, and the blackness of the stone  
heart of Hate shall once again rest in the hands of a Guardian."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Chapter Four: "Only a Memory Away"  
  
  
  
It was mid-afternoon in the Great Forest. There was a slight chill in  
the air from the incoming winter season. Brown, red, and orange leaves littered  
the forest floor like a colorful carpet. The only full trees were the ever-  
greens, and even their needles were dulling. Soon snow would be falling.  
  
Knuckles looked down onto the tree tops from the edge of the Floating  
Island as it hovered silently above the Great Forest. He turned back to  
his friends. "Becareful while I'm gone." He warned.  
  
"Don't worry Knux, man. We've got the groove down on da pad." A green   
crocodile with head-phones on said, grinning broadly.  
  
"Yeah, like Vector says, we'll take good care of the place." A big  
red and yellow armadillo translated.  
  
"You better, Mighty." Knuckles said. "And no playing frisbee with  
my books." He said glared at them a minute.  
  
"I'll make sure of that." A chamelon said, "I'll watch them."  
  
"Thanks, Espio." Knuckles said. he turned to the little bee siting  
on a rock beside him. "Charmy, make sure no one sneaks on during the night."  
  
"Righto, Captian!" He said, giving the echidna a salute.  
  
"And Archimedes... Hey, where is he?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"Right here." The ant said as he suddenly appeared in his trademark  
poof of smoke on Knuckles' shoulder.   
  
Knuckles jumped. "Will you tell me when your going to do that?!"   
  
"Sorry. You wanted me?" He asked casually.  
  
"Keep tabs on the Chaos Chamber. Find out what you can about the book,  
too." He said, "And make sure these guys are doing what their supposed to."   
  
Archimedes nodded. "Before you go, I want you to remember something."  
  
"Yeah?" Knuckles asked curiously.  
  
"Watch for a..." Archimedes hesitated with thought, "A red beauty   
of Venus. And for a heart of Hate."   
  
"What in the world does that mean?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"I don't know. Just... Be careful." He said and poofed away again.  
  
Knuckles sighed, and after bidding his good-byes to the Chaotix team,  
he dove off the side of the island and glided down to the forest below. He  
had to dodge a couple of trees as he flew down into Knothole, but he was  
able to land gracefully on a roof of one of the huts.  
  
"God, it's cold down here!" He mumbled, rubbing his hands together.  
  
"Knuckles!" Someone yelled suddenly.  
  
Caught off guard and startled by the shout, he lost his balance on  
the blade of the roof and fell off right onto an unsuspecting Shelia.  
  
"Hey! Are you all right?" Clawz said climbing out the window where  
he had stuck his head out and saw the echidna on his roof.  
  
The echidna opened his eyes to find himself sprawled on top of the  
most beautiful female he had ever seen. He stared at her in awe for a moment  
That scarlet red fur... Something, something about her was so familiar...  
  
Suddenly, as if awakening from a trance, Shelia screamed. She threw  
him off with her legs and scrambled up to her feet, leaving the dazed   
echidna in the pile of leaves.  
  
"Shelia! It's all right!" Clawz consoled the panting girl. "That's  
just my friend Knuckles!" He explianed vaugely.  
  
"Are your friends always falling on top of people?!" She yelled.  
  
Clawz helped Knuckles up. "You all right, man?" He asked.  
  
Knuckles stood up rubbing his head. "Oh yeah, just fine. A minor   
concussion is all." He mumbled.  
  
Bunnie and Antoine had heard Shelia's screams and had ran to the   
scence. They looked around with confusion as they saw Knuckles brushing  
leaves off of himself and a petrified looking Shelia standing behind Clawz,  
who was between them.  
  
"What in tha who-ha's goin' on 'round here?" Bunnie asked.  
  
"We bes hearing ze screams, and we was thinking someones be in toubles."  
Antoine said, approaching behind her.  
  
"Naw. Knuckles just fell off the roof, thats all." Clawz said simply.  
  
"Yeah, and on top of me!" Shelia added.   
  
"Y'all all right, Shelia-girl?" She asked.  
  
"Just a minor concussion is all." She said, glaring at Knuckles.  
  
Knuckles was still a bit at a loss of words regaurding the pretty  
young vixen. She seemed... He wasn't sure, but it was if he allready knew  
her... But how...?  
  
Sally walked around the corner to see what the commotion was about.  
She smiled when she saw Knuckles. She ran over and hugged him. He was rather   
surprised, but hugged her back anyway.   
  
Then Sonic came around the corner.   
  
"Look at tha time!" Bunnie said suddenly, looking at her bare wrist  
like it had a watch on it, "Ah just remembered Ah have nurse duty t'day!  
See ya!" She said rushing off.   
  
"Wait for moui!" Antoine said following her.  
  
Clawz decided to sit back and watch the action. Shelia stood beside  
him still looking a little confused about the whole matter.   
  
"Ahem." Sonic snorted.  
  
Sally looked up. "Oh hello there, Sonic." She said smoothly.  
  
"Hello." He said frowning.  
  
Knuckles let her go, but she still held on.  
  
"I was just greeting our guest." She continued putting her head on  
his chest. 'This'll teach him to run off when I'm trying to apologize.' She  
thought coldly.  
  
Knuckles felt uneasy. 'What was Sally doing? Trying to get Sonic to kill   
me?' He thought. "Uh... Maybe I should be going..." He mumbled.  
  
Sonic glared at him.  
  
Clawz found it his time to step in, "Yeah, Knux, why don't cha come  
wit me. I got some uh, stuff t'show ya.." He said grabbing the echidna's  
arm.   
  
"Oh.. Yeah, sure, Clawz..." Knuckles said, prying Sally off him. "See  
ya later..." He mumbled.  
  
"See ya." She purred, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
Everyone, including Knuckles was shocked.  
  
She acted as if nothing had happened and walked straight past the  
fuming hedgehog and across the courtyard and into the meeting hall. Sonic  
watched her go, and when he turned back, Knuckles and Clawz were gone. He  
stared at Shelia for a moment. She shrugged at him.  
  
He grumbled and stalked away in a huff.  
  
"Hoo, boy." Clawz said as he peeked from behind the corner to check  
and see if the angry hedgehog had left yet. "Man, if we didn't get outta  
there then, he probably woulda killed us both. You fer flirting, and me  
fer just bein' an innocent bystander!"  
  
"Me? She was the one doing the flirting!" Knuckles corrected, "Still,  
I don't think we sould've run off. That's the cowards way out."  
  
"Yeah, well call me yellow, den." Clawz said. "He was pretty steamed."  
  
"What was up with Sally anyway?" Knuckles asked rubbing his cheek where  
she had kissed him, "She's never done that before..." He said, trying not  
to smile.   
  
"Aw, she's just tryin' t'make ole Spike jealous." He said.  
  
"Well she certainly pulled that off!" Knuckles said. "Wish she wouldn't  
use me as the tool, though."  
  
"Why not? I wouldn't mind L.P. kissin' on me, if ya know what I mean."  
Clawz said grinning.  
  
Knuckles frowned at him, "Oh, shut-up." He said.  
  
"Umm.. Excuse me..." Shelia mumbled softly.  
  
Clawz had totally forgotten about her. Knuckles, of course, hadn't.  
  
"Oh, hi again Shelia." Clawz said.  
  
She frowned. "Now what was that all about?" She asked.  
  
"Spikes n' L.P. are still at each others throats. She was tryin' t'make  
him jealous using Knux here." Clawz explianed, and not very well.  
  
She blinked at him for a moment, then turned to Knuckles, "Do you  
mind translating?" She said.  
  
Knuckles had been staring at her and jumped when she spoke to him.  
"Uh.. Er... What?" He asked cluelessly.  
  
Shelia sighed. "Nevermind." She muttered. "I'll see you guys later.  
I'm going to see the doctor again. I don't feel so good." She turned and  
walked away back towards the court yard. When she was a ways away, she turned  
back to glance at them. She watched the big red echidna for a moment. 'Funny,'   
She thought, 'But it feels like I know him. Maybe he's a part of my past...   
But it doesn't feel that way... So... Different.'   
  
Clawz and Knuckles cautiously turned the corner, still keeping an eye  
out for angry hedgehogs, and went inside Clawz's hut. It had been a guest   
residence, but he had been living in it for months now, so he has seemingly   
claimed it as his own. Besides he wasn't into moving as his junk around   
again. It stayed right in it's place, which was usually the floor.  
  
Knuckles stepped over a pile of old magazines. "Nice place." He said  
dully, observing the very messy room. "Very uh... Lived in."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Ain't it great?" Clawz said happily, jumping into   
a hammock that hung from a low celing beam. He laid on his back with his  
hands behind his head.  
  
"Uh... Yeah..." Knuckles mumbled.   
  
"What didya wanna talk t'me about?" Clawz said sitting up and leaning   
over to look out the window.  
  
"Who was that girl?" Knuckles asked, wandering from his original  
intent to ask about the diamond.  
  
"Who?" Clawz asked.  
  
"The girl I fell on." He clarified.  
  
"Oh, that was just Shelia." Clawz said simply.  
  
"...Shelia...." The echidna mumbled dreamily.  
  
"Quite a babe, eh?" Clawz said smirking.  
  
"Yeah..." Knuckles sighed. "It's the weirdest thing. I feel like I've  
known her before... But, I've never seen her before in my life. I would've  
remembered someone who... Uh..."  
  
"Has big knockers like her?" Clawz suggested.  
  
Knuckles was a bit surprised at his firend's boldness. "Er.. Yeah, but  
I wouldn't put it exactly that way..."   
  
"Well she does." The wildcat insisted. "It's just a fact, ya don't have  
'ta be polite 'bout it, but she just does."  
  
"Yeah, well..." Knuckles said.  
  
There was silence for a moment.  
  
"She has a great ass, too." Clawz said abbruptly.  
  
"Clawz..." Knuckles warned, "This story is supposed to be rated PG."  
  
"Oh yeah. I forgot." He said. "That reminds me, I'm hungry."  
  
Knuckles was a bit confused at his reasoning, about how ratings could  
remind him of food, but decided to go with him to the mess hall anyway. They  
walked out the door and were heading across the court yard when he noticed  
Shelia sitting at a table with her face in her hands. He stopped.  
  
"What's up?" Clawz asked.  
  
"You go on Clawz. I'll meet you there later." Knuckles dismissed.  
  
"All right. But I ain't gonna garuntee there'll be food left after  
I'm done!" He said, and continued on his way.  
  
Knuckles waited until he was out of sight before approaching the  
girl at the table. He stared at her a moment. Her head made little jerking   
movements as she cried silently into her palms. He frowned. "Are you all   
right?" He asked finally.  
  
She jumped, startled by him. "Oh, it's you." She said, wiping her  
eyes and staring at him. "The one that fell on me." She sniffled.  
  
"Sorry about that." He apologized. "My name is Knuckles. Knuckles  
Echidna, of the Floating Island." He said.  
  
She sniffed again. "My name is Shelia ClearWaters. I don't know where  
I come from." She said sadly.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Miss ClearWaters..." Knuckles tried to say calmly.   
He managed a kind of stammer. He bowed gently. 'Shelia ClearWaters,' He  
thought, 'What a beautiful name.'  
  
"Nice to meet you, too..." She said smiling weakly.   
  
He sat down across from her. "Why were you crying?" He asked softly.  
  
Her throat tightened. "Because I can't remember." She sadly.   
  
"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.  
  
"I was being chased by some robots, or so they say, and I hit my head,  
and now I can't remember anything from before that. They say it's Amnesia."  
She muttered sadly.  
  
"I'm sorry. Are you all right?" He asked felling sorry for her.  
  
"Yeah." She sniffed. "I'll get along."  
  
"Maybe you should look at it as a good thing. You get to start your  
whole life over agian, without any bad memories or mistakes you made in  
your past. You've got a clean slate. I sometimes wish I could forget a lot  
of my past." He said, trying to cheer her up.  
  
"Well I don't see it that way." She argued, but weakly, "What about  
all the good memories? What about my family? Did I even have one? Do they  
miss me? Did anyone ever love me? So many questions left unanswered. I hate  
it." She whimpered, tilting her heard slightly for her cheek to rest on her  
arm. "I don't even remember my own mother. I don't remember being a child,   
having no worries, and having your parents to protect you. Someone to hold   
you when you cry..." She sniffed unhappily, wiping her eyes and trying not  
to cry.  
  
Now Knuckles' throat was tight. 'Poor little thing...' He thought.   
'She doesn't deserve this kind of torture.' He reached over and touched her   
arm gingerly. "Please, Shelia... Don't cry..." He pleaded. "I'm sure one day   
you'll remember. Everything's going to be all right..."  
  
She continued to weep. "No I won't! I'll never remember! I'll never  
anything, and everyone will go on treating me like a idiot forever. I'll  
never.. Never..." She began to sob.  
  
Knuckles looked absolutely terrified. He had no clue what to do to  
to console the crying girl. His lip twitched slightly with confusion. He  
wanted to help her, but just wasn't quite sure how. He stood up and walked  
around the table and sat beside her. "Shelia, don't cry... Please... Don't  
get upset..." He pleaded helplessly. He hated not being able to do anything  
to help her. He put a hand on her back. "Look here, now... Crying's not  
going to acomplish anything. If you want to remember, you have to try. And  
you do want to remember don't you?" He asked.  
  
She sniffled softly and looked up. "Of course I do." She said softly,  
wiping her eyes.   
  
"Let me help you then." He said firmly.  
  
She blinked skeptically at him, "You really mean it? You'd help me?"   
She asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure. Why not?" He said.   
  
She smiled weakly. "Wow." She said, "Thank you."  
  
"My pleasure, but I haven't done anything yet." He said.  
  
"Well, where do we start?" She asked eagerly.  
  
He smiled too. "I remember I would have to memorize all these rules  
and stuff for these tests my father would give me. There were like a million  
of them. Right when I would get the test, my mind would go blank." He said.  
"It really sucked."  
  
She giggled, "Yeah, I bet."  
  
"Anyways, I came up with this way of remembering. It quite easy really.  
All you do is think of one thing, just anything, it could be as small as a   
speck of dust, and you just concentrate on it. Sooner or later, it grows,  
and you remember." He explained. "Now you try."  
  
Shelia thought for a while. She squinted in concentration. "I... I have  
this picture in my mind, that I can't quite make out..." She mumbled.  
  
"Just start small. What is one thing you do remember? It can be a   
sound, a feeling, an object, anything."  
  
"I remember.. Ummm..." She struggled, "Oh, I don't remember anything!!"  
  
"Just try Shelia." He urged. "If you really want to remember, I'm  
sure you can. Close your eyes and relax."  
  
She obeyed silently. She took a deep breath. It was a moment before  
she spoke again. "I remember... Heat." She said simply.  
  
"Heat?" He said confused, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Like weather heat. A hot day." She said. "Everything was dry..."  
  
"That's good!" He encouraged, "Just concentrate on that."  
  
"Heat... Dry... No water..." She said, staring out into the meadow  
again thoughtfully.  
  
"Like a desert or someting." Knuckles said. "Weird."  
  
Shelia stood up like a shot, knocking Knuckles out of his seat. "What?  
What did you say!?" She yelled.  
  
Knuckles staggered back up to his feet, "Well I didn't mean to offend..."  
He stammered.  
  
"No, no!" She said grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "What did  
you say before that!"  
  
"Eh, I.. I uh.. I said.. it's like.. a desert.. or something.." Knuckles   
said while Shelia was still shaking him wildly.   
  
"That's it!" She screamed suddenly, letting go of him. He fell on the  
ground again. "That's it! A desert! That's where I lived!" She exclaimed.  
  
Knuckles staggered to his feet again only to be tackled by the female.  
"OH, THANK YOU!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. He had to hold onto  
the table to keep from falling over once again.  
  
"I remember! I remember everything!" She laughed, "I remember the  
desert and the caves and Momma, Jem, and Maria!"   
  
Shelia was still laughing happily. Knuckles wasn't quite sure what  
to make of the estatic girl, but was pleasantly surprised when she kissed him.  
She let go of him and he fell over again.  
  
Suddenly Shelia's joy wore off. Her smile faded. "Momma..." She said  
softly as she sunk to her knees. "Oh no... I gotta.. I gotta.." She mumbled,  
as she felt her energy suddenly drain. Blackness fell onto her, until she   
was comepletely eveloped in darkness.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"What is the matter darling?" A tall man, a human, asked to a shorter,  
very beautiful, but angry looking woman.  
  
"Nothing. And don't call me darling." She snorted.  
  
"There must be someting the matter," He said ignoring her attitude and  
encircling her waist with his arms from the back, "You seem so distant." He   
whispered.  
  
She didn't struggle, "Soon all the others will be here." She mumbled.  
"I don't need your servants running around here interrupting all my doings!"  
  
"Is that's what's itching at you, darling?" He said bending down and  
resting his chin on her shoulder. "You want us to be... alone?" He purred.  
  
She frowned. "You know very well why I don't want them to come. They'll  
ruin all my plans!" She pouted, blowing her dark green hair out of her eyes.  
  
"What kind of 'plans' did you have in mind?" He said kissing her on  
the neck.  
  
She shrugged him off. "Cut it out, Ace." She growled. "Sometimes I  
wish you never came, either!"  
  
He remained calm and totlally content. "I know you don't really mean  
that, Kay darling." He said evenly. "Your just too tense. Don't worry so  
much. It'll give you wrinkles."  
  
She laughed indignantly, "Bah. Now that's stupid." She said, "You  
know I don't get wrinkles." She said smiling.  
  
"Oh really?" He said cooly, "Then what's that?" He said pointing to  
her forhead.  
  
She shreiked and rushed over to a shimering green wall, one that  
surrounded them both, with a white wall on the right that faded into a green  
on the right, with everchanging angles. She stared at her reflection for  
a while, checking every feature, then strode back to the man, who was standing  
in the white side, and punched him in the shoulder.  
  
"Ah! Gettin weak there, Kayoss?" He said softly not even flinching.  
  
"Shut-up!" She snarled, "And I don't have wrinkles! Or have you   
forgotten that were both immortal. Idiot!" She snapped.  
  
He just smiled at her, "Darling, we may be ageless and extemely   
powerful, but we are not immortal. That is why your so edgy I bet. Afraid  
of the Guardian, eh?"  
  
"I am not!" She yelled. "Just wait until Rona and Rakar get here! We'll  
show you! No weakling Guardian is going to imprision me for a thosand years  
in some stupid emerald again!"  
  
He continued smiling. "Really? Have you spoken to The Masters about  
your little proposition?" He said.  
  
She paled slightly. "Well... No." She mumbled, then grew more confident,  
"But I don't care. I shall do whatever I want."   
  
"Oh, you are droll." He laughed softly, "Thinking you can manipulate  
The Proficies? Life and Death shall not have it."  
  
She just hissed at him. "Fine. Stay in your stupid diamond for all I  
care. I won't miss you when I'm ruling the universe." She spat finally.  
  
"So sure of yourself." He laughed, "I bet you will miss me. Who else  
shall you rule with? That egg-head Julian son of Ivo?"   
  
"Surely you jest!" She snapped.  
  
"No I don't. And don't call me Shirley." He said smirking.  
  
She ignored that comment. "I don't need any man to stand over me!   
Certainly not you or some foolish human!"  
  
"Really?" He said approaching her, "Are you that strong, my darling?  
Stonger than I?"  
  
She stared at her equivalent with a raging inferno in her eyes. "Maybe  
I'm stronger than you think." She said coldly.  
  
"Really?" He said smiling again, taking her chin in his palm and  
raising her face to look at him. "I have always adored strong women."  
  
She would've spat in his face if he hadn't kissed her then.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
The deep metallic-blue robot sped through the barren city streets of  
the polluted Robotropolis. Old papers and glass from broken windows flew  
into the air as it flew by with a booming hum. It crossed though the junkyard  
and past a heap of scrap metal, and stopped to get a report from a pair of  
SwatBots on guard there.  
  
Unseen by the detectors of the three other robots, another secretly   
watched and listened from inside the seemingly innocent pile of scrap.  
He gasped slightly at the sight of the blue metallic robot. "A Mecha-Sonic."  
He whispered in surpise.  
  
"SwatBot 757623 reporting, sir." One of the SwatBot's droned.  
  
"Any activity?" Mecha asked impatiently tapping it's foot.  
  
"No sir. No unusual activity sited." It said.  
  
The head-robot looked dissapointed. "Keep on your guard. And be on  
alert. We might need back-up when the Freedom Fighters find the rebel desert  
base."  
  
"An attack at a rebel desert base? And a new Mecha-Sonic too? What has   
Robotnik been up to?" The forth watching robot whispered to himself in an old   
and worn out voice. "I better check with the Princess about this." He watched   
until the blue robot had sped off and away from the junkyard before he booted   
up his computer and sent a message to the Freedom Fighters in Knothole Village.  
  
"Uncle Chuck?" Sally said as she appeared on his screen, "Something  
the matter? I got a red alert from you."   
  
"I'm afraid, Princess, that the red alert was more than nessecary."  
The robotic light-blue hedgehog said solemnly. "Robotnik has created a  
Mecha Sonic!"  
  
Sally gasped. "A Mecha-Sonic?!" She yelled, "But.. But how?? Don't  
they need Sonic to do that?"  
  
"I thought so too. He is there, right?" Uncle Chuck said hopefully.  
  
"Unfortunately." Sally said under her breath.   
  
"What was that Princess?" Uncle Chuck asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's here." She answered. "What I don't understand is how  
Robotnik could construct something like that without a DNA sample from him."  
  
"Me either Princess. And that's not the only problem we have on our   
hands." He said.  
  
Sally frowned, "What now?"  
  
"I heard from Mecha-Sonic itself that Robotnik is planning to attack  
you guys at a desert rebel base." He explianed.  
  
"Desert rebel base? We don't have plans about going anywhere like that."  
Sally said with a perplexed look on her face.  
  
Uncle Chuck had the same look. "How odd. Well, just keep a look out,  
all right Princess?"  
  
She smiled. "I will, Sir Charles. Thank you. Your information is always   
welcomed." She said. "I'll have to ask Sonic about the Mecha. Good bye."  
  
"Good bye, Princess." He said, and vanished from the screen.  
  
Sally sat silently at her desk for a moment. Everything was getting  
so complicated and confusing lately. She sighed. "Why do things change?"  
She muttered softly, "I wish everything was like it used to be. Where things  
were simple, and Sonic always came back to me..."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Coming around the corner, an absentmided Clawz ran smack-dab into  
the still steaming blue hedgehog. Before the cat could flee though, Sonic  
grabbed him by the tail and forced him into a corner.  
  
"Hiyas there, Spikes!" Clawz said cheefully, although nervously,   
"Eh heh... How's it goin'?"  
  
Sonic ignored him, "Where's the echidna?" He growled.  
  
"Who?" Clawz said innocently.  
  
"Knuckles, dammit." Sonic snarled.  
  
"Oh, ho... Him!" Clawz said slowly, sweat apppearing on his forhead.  
Even though the big wildcat was atleast a foot taller than the hedgehog,  
he wasn't stupid enough to get in a rumble with this speed demon. "He's  
over somewhere." He said dimly.  
  
"Do you mind being a little more specific?" Sonic said stiffly.  
  
"Over there, in th'courtyard." Clawz said gulping, "Now lay off  
will ya?"  
  
Sonic backed off a bit. "Sorry. Thanks for the info, Clawz." He said  
calmly, reverting into his usual, non-threatening tone. "I don't see what   
you or Sal can see in that jerk." He snorted.  
  
"Aw, c'mon. You'd like him if ya actually got to know him. Hey, he's  
really a lot like you." Clawz said.  
  
"No way!" Sonic said, "How un-cool is that?"  
  
"I think it's great. You two would be like best buds if you weren't  
fightin' all th'time. Besides, the only reason you're mad at 'im is because  
of Lil' Princess, right?"  
  
Sonic was silent a moment. "Maybe. But either way, I'm gonna kick  
his butt for hanging all over her like that." He said stubbornly, and  
headed towards the courtyard. Clawz followed in his heels, hoping to catch  
some of the action and fill Bunnie in later.  
  
Sonic rounded the corner, but then stopped and backed up, almost  
running into the persuing wildcat in the process. Clawz jumped back, avoiding  
trying to get a face-full of quills.   
  
"What's th'matter?" He asked.   
  
Sonic didn't answer, just rushed into the court yard to help Knuckles  
pick up the uncounsious Shelia.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"What in the who-ha happened t'her?" Bunnie asked as Sonic carried  
Shelia into the infermary for the third time.  
  
"She fainted." He explained vaugely.  
  
"Again?" Bunnie asked.  
  
"You mean she's done this before?" Knuckles asked as he followed  
close behind Clawz, remembering to keep his distance from Sonic.  
  
"This'd be her second time, not includin' the first time when she   
hit her head." Clawz said.  
  
"Will.. Will she be okay?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"She has before." The doctor said as he suddenly appeared. He hovered  
around the room giving orders and asking questions. He singled out Knuckles  
after a moment. "Where you with her when this happened?" He asked shrewdly.  
  
"Uh, Yes. Yes, sir." Knuckles answered aprehensively.  
  
"Well, what happened?" The doctor snapped.  
  
"Uh, well, we were uh, talking and I was trying to help her get her  
memory back." He explianed.  
  
"Well did she?" The doctor said frowning as he leaned towards the  
echidna, as if examining him.  
  
Knuckles backed away. "Did she what?" He asked.  
  
"Remember anything?" He snapped back.  
  
"Oh. Yeah, she remembered a desert, and a cave and some other stuff..."  
Knuckles said uneasily.   
  
"AHA!" The doctor suddenly shouted.  
  
Sally rushed in about then. "What's going on here?" She demanded.  
  
Sonic was setting the still unconious Shelia on a fold-out medical  
bed, and looked up as Sally came in. "She fainted again." He answered.  
  
Sally frowned. 'Again??' She thought. "What happened to her?"  
  
"It seems," The doctor answered, "That her memories came flooding back  
to her, and kind of, well overrided." He explained.  
  
"I didn't know it would affect her that way..." Knuckles apologized.  
  
"Well, I suppose it is a good thing, her remembering. But all of it  
coming back at one time, well is a bit overwelming." Doc said.  
  
"I just hope she'll be all right." Knuckles said.  
  
"Sure she will. All she needs is a little rest and recoupreation."  
  
Just as the doctor said that, Shelia sat up straight. "Wh-What's going  
on here?" She asked.  
  
"Shelia?" Sonic asked, turning around, surpised that she had already   
awakened.  
  
She took one look at him and burst into screams. "Get--Get away from  
m-me you you--!!" She yelled, hitting him repeatedly with a pillow.  
  
"She--What--Ow! --Stop-- Shelia!" Sonic defended wildly.  
  
Knuckles ran over and grabbed her arms, holding her back. "Shelia!  
Calm down! It's all right..." He soothed.  
  
She stared at him with perplexity for a moment. She blinked with  
realazation. "Knuckles..?" She asked softly.  
  
"Yeah, it's me. Don't worry, just calm down."   
  
"Geez, Shelia! Are you done wacking me to death allready?!" Sonic   
snapped, rubbing his head.  
  
"Sorry." She pouted. "I thought you were..." She jumped up suddenly.  
"OH MY GOD!" She yelped.  
  
"What's the matter now?" Sonic said.  
  
She had a horrified look on her face. "We've got to hurry! We have to  
help them! Please, you have to help them!" She ranted, jumping off the bed   
and running to Sally.  
  
"Help who? What are you talking about?" Sally asked confused.  
  
"My family! My village! The blue monster was attacking us! I got away,  
but--But you have to help us! Please!" She begged.  
  
"Blue monster?" Sonic asked quzically.  
  
"Yes! The one that looks like you!" She said to him. "I thought you  
were it, but.. but..."  
  
"You mean a Mecha-Sonic was attacking you?" Sally asked.  
  
Shelia nodded sadly. "Please, I'm begging you... My family, they'll  
all die if we don't... If you don't..." She sobbed.  
  
"I think you need to lie down." Knuckles said.  
  
"I DON'T need to LIE DOWN!" She shouted hysterically.   
  
Knuckles was taken aback.  
  
"Please, our base in the desert..." Shelia sobbed gently, "We need  
your help... Please..." She pleaded.  
  
'Base in the desert??' Sally thought. An alarm went off in her head.  
  
"Don't worry Shelia, I'm sure we'll be able to help you." Sonic said.  
  
"Wait a second. I don't think that's such a good idea, Sonic." Sally  
said suddenly.  
  
"What are you talking about Sally?" Sonic asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"We're not going anywhere." She said sternly.  
  
Shelia's eyes grew wide. "Wh-what..." She whispered.  
  
"What do you mean Sally?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"I mean exactly what I said. We're not going anywhere. There's no  
way I'm falling for a trap like that." She sneered.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Shelia asked.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, Fluffy!" Sally snarled back at her, "Everyone  
else may have fallen for your innocent amnesia-stricken girl act, but I  
sure didn't! I've seen straight through you the entire time!"  
  
Shelia looked terrified, "Wh-what are.. What are you--" She stammered,  
her eyes welling on the verge of tears.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about!!" She spat. "Being chased by robots,  
the whole memory-loss bit, the laser gun, the desert rebel base, the Mecha  
Sonic!"  
  
"I.. I don't know... What you're..." She whimpered.  
  
"Oh, and cut out the blubbering bit! I've seen better actors on  
Jerry Springer!!" Sally yelled.  
  
Knuckles ssuddenly pushed her away. "Sally, stop it!" He ordered.  
  
Sally was surprised by his sudden interjection. She backed away.  
  
"Leave her alone!" He warned, "She hasn't done anything!"  
  
Shelia sniffled, watching him. 'Why is he defending me...?' She thought.  
  
"Oh, hasn't she!" Sally said, regaining her courage and converging  
on the echidna, "She's a spy! Sent by Robotnik! Her plan is to lure us into  
that 'desert base' of hers, then attack! Uncle Chuck himself gave me the  
report himself! He heard the Mecha-Sonic giving orders to stand by incase  
they need back-up, it's all true!" She explained.  
  
Knuckles was confused now. He turned to Shelia, "Is it... True?" He  
asked softly.  
  
"No..." She mumbled, "Please belive me... Someone has to..." She sobbed.  
She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. True tears, the ones of a true   
innocent. With such purity, those tears fell. He could sense something  
inside him that told him she wasn't lying.   
  
"Sally," He said turning back to her, "I don't know what you're talking  
about, or what anyone is talking about. But I do know one thing. I belive  
her, and if she's in trouble, I'm going to help her."   
  
Shelia smiled weakly at him. "Oh god, thank you..." She whimpered.  
  
"Yeah, me too." Sonic said, standing beside him. Knuckles stared at  
him with surprise for a moment. Sonic glanced at him. "Finally, we come to  
an agreement." He mumbled.  
  
Sally was aghast. "You're both fools! Can't you see what's she's doing?  
She's tricked you, all of you. Robotnik knew you were suckers for a pretty  
face! And look now, it's all worked! You fell for it!" She yelled.  
  
"But what if she is tellin' th' truth?" Clawz asked. "What if her   
family really is in trouble? Are we just going to let 'em die?"  
  
"It's all a lie! She is lying! There is no family in trouble!" Sally  
shouted, "Can't you see?"  
  
"But what if there is?" Sonic said. "Even if there is the slightest  
possibility there's someone who needs my help, I'm there. I thought that  
was our motto; Help the ones that need help, and fight for a better Mobius?"  
He asked sternly.  
  
"But, but..." Sally stammered, feeling defeat upon her, "If we do go,  
we could be attacked..."  
  
"So what?" Sonic asked, growing bolder. "I could beat those 'bots  
anytime, any day of the week."  
  
Sally turned back to the others, "Bunnie, you understand don't you?"  
She asked pleadingly.   
  
"Ah... Ah don't know, Sally-girl..." She mumbled.  
  
"What?!" Sally yelled in shock.  
  
"Ah mean, it is our duty to help everyone. An iffn's there's even uh  
possiblity..." She continued, struggling.  
  
"Oui, she is correct. We are ze 'Freedom Fighters', no?" Antoine  
backed. "I hate to be admitting zis, but I am weeth ze hedgehog and Monsuire  
Echidna."   
  
Sally was deflated. "You're all insane..." She muttered.  
  
"If you don't want to come, fine. But we're going where our help is  
needed." Sonic said. "Goodbye, Princess..." He finished, and walked stiffly  
out the door, followed by Knuckles, helping Shelia, Antoine, and a slightly  
reluctant Bunnie.  
  
Sally stood there with her mouth opened. "I can't belive it..." She  
muttered to herself.  
  
"It is hard to belive. I mean, I thought you were th' one givin' orders  
'round here."  
  
She turned around. "Clawz?" She mumbled in surpise, "You mean you  
belive me?"  
  
"Sure I belive you, L.P.," He said, "But I also belive Shelia."  
  
Sally was confused. "What?"  
  
"I don't belive much of anyting until it's proven." He said. "But I  
do belive that everybody d'serves a chance. Even guys like me."   
  
"So, what are you saying? I should go with them?" She asked.  
  
"I'm not the one to decide that." He said, "I know what it's like to  
be accused of sometin', and how awful it feels when no one belives you. You  
guys, I know had accused me of a buncha things, and most of them I did. But  
that doesn't mean I couldn't change, to be a better animal, and be smarter,  
like you, L.P."  
  
Sally was at a loss of words. "Maybe.. Maybe I..." She began finally.  
"I have a one track mind... I only belive myself... That's one of my faults.  
I never liked Shelia, just because Sonic was paying more attention to her  
than to me, maybe I just want her to get in trouble, so everything can go  
back to the way it used to be..." She said softly. "And all the evidence...  
It all says that she's a spy... I don't understand wny no one else can see  
it the way I do."  
  
Clawz chuckled, "Don't we all wish others thought the way we do?" He  
said, "It's the life long stuggle. But maybe for once, you should go out on  
a limb. Not for Shelia, not for me, but for yourself, and maybe even for  
Sonic." He said.  
  
"When did you get so philosophical?" She asked, smiling weakly.  
  
"Hey, I learned it all from you, Little Princess. You gave me the  
chance to prove myself, and hell... I guess I'd have to make it up to you  
somehow." He said grinning.  
  
She smiled and looked down at the floor. When she looked up, he was  
walking towards the door.   
  
"Hey, wait for me!" She called, and ran after him.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
The End...  
  
Wow what a horrible ending... Kinda leaves you at a cliff hanger. Well I  
guess you'll have to figure the rest out own your own... For now!  
  
To be continued...   
Bwa ha ha ha ha!  
  
Am I getting _way_ too preachy or what?   
  
Keep a look out for my next exciting story: "Vengeance of an Innocent" or  
"The Guardian's Strength and Weakness!" Love and Hate part 2!  
  
Thanks fer reading my newest Sonic fan-fiction story! Hoped you liked it!  
  
Notes from el writero:  
  
First of all, I'd like to thanks all my fans!! Thank-you for writing, and  
keep it up! I love yas! Thanks to: Sonia, Tyro (as always), The Sonic Entity,  
Charity Haney, Knuckles@netwiz, Knuckles@aol, KtieKaboom, Ian Kubitza, Warp,  
Chad Harding and the Cracked Bulb, Gina, Melissa, Glazius Falconar, and a   
whole bunch of others! Sorry if that list was long, I wanted to thank  
everyone who wrote me :D  
  
ANYway...   
  
Hope everybody enjoyed my newest character: Shelia the sexy, but forgetful  
vixen. At first, she was going to take Julie-Su's place in my stories, to  
better differ from the comics, but recent developments have lead me to decide  
otherwise. Although I do plan on Shelia being our red echidna hero's love  
intrest, Julie-Su might very well interrupt that. I found Julie to be a  
very intriguing character, and plan to do great things with her, so don't go  
flaming me. (Please!)  
  
Also, I have a plot-line of my own that rather differs from either the  
comic or the series. I don't make all that stuff so complicated,  
ex: Knuckles family members and all the Dark Legion junk is extemely   
simplified. Number one: All the guardians are dead 'cept for Knuckles, his  
father Locke, and Knuckles'great-grandfather Athair. Oh yeah, and Kragok  
master of the Dark Legion, but instead of being some distant cousin or  
whatever he is in the comic, he's Knuckles' Uncle, or ulimately Locke's  
evil older brother. Number two, there is an Ixus Nagus, from the TV series,  
whom kept King Acorn locked in the void, but is actually going to turn out  
to be Death in it's most powerful form. I seem to get a bit off track with   
all the technology stuff, so it's actaully more fantasy-epic like. Any   
questions? Good. Class dissmissed.  
  
Once again, thanks for reading!  
  
~Erin Lindsey =^.^=  
E-mail me your questions, comments, and anything else to:  
diamondneko@mail.com  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Legalities: Okay. ready, set go!!!  
Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, the Freedom   
Fighters, the Chaotix, Dr. Robotnik, and any related   
characters are licensed characters of SEGA and Co.   
and/or DIC and Archie Adventure series Comics. Clawz the   
Wildcat, Shelia ClearWaters, Kayoss Emerald, Ace Diamond,   
Rona Amethyst, Venus Ruby, and Lysander were created by   
Erin Lindsey. If you want any of my stories on your site,   
or want to use any of my characters, you must have written   
consent of my authorization, beforehand. In other words,  
you better e-mail me first, or I'll... I'll... Uh, I dunno  
but, I bet it will be extremely painful!  
  
Send any complications to:   
diamondneko@mail.com 


	2. Strengths and Weaknesses

  
"Strengths and Weaknesses"  
Love and Hate part 2 of 4  
A Sonic Fan-Fiction story  
By: Erin Lindsey  
  
Yikes! This story ain't for kiddies! Rated PG-13 violence, and a bit   
of profanity.  
  
Disclaimer at bottom.   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Hiyas everybody! Welcome back! Hope you enjoy my newest   
part in the "Love and Hate" saga! In this part, we have several interesting  
developments. 1, Mecha-Sonic makes his battling debut, 2, Shelia reveals  
her true identity, 3, the Floating Island is once again attacked by the  
Forces of the Dark Legion, 4, Knuckles finds something in Shelia he didn't   
even know he was looking for. (hint hint, this story gets increibly  
mushy at parts) ;D  
  
If you're just joining the story-line, here's what happened last time:  
  
As we last left our wonderful heroes and heroines the Freedom Fighters  
plus Knuckles, they were off to help the village of the cured amnesia-stricken  
vixen, Shelia ClearWaters, who claims that her 'desert base' was attacked  
by Robotnik's newest mechanical invention, a Mecha-Sonic. Sally had at first  
been skeptical, fearing that Shelia was a spy and trying to lead them into  
a trap, but thanks to the efforts of Sonic, Knuckles, and Clawz, she was  
talked into going anyway. What will become of them? Who is Shelia really?  
Why don't you read the story?  
  
I think that's pretty much it, so thanks a bundle!  
  
/\/\  
\'-/ Erin  
\/  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter five: "Revelations"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What had happened?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What had gone wrong? What had torn her away from her family, and all   
that she loved?  
  
A monster, with red glowing eyes....  
  
Even though the pounding in her head was wrenching, the pounding in her  
heart was worse. What had she done? For days she had wandered on her on whims   
and dreams while her family was suffering. How could she just forget the ones   
she loved? Why, why did she have to forget? Why hadn't she remembered the   
gun? Or the Mecha? Why had only Knuckles' words aroused her memories and  
her forgotten responsibilities? It had been so cloudy. All she could remember  
was the sensation of heat, dry and dusty. That and nothing more. Everything  
else was just a shrouded dream she had woken up from and forgotten. And then  
he had came, and awoke her from the dream, or was it nightmare? It still made  
no sense. It made absolutely no sense. It made no sense at all...  
  
"Shelia..."  
  
She continued staring into nowhere.  
  
"Shelia? Anybody home?"  
  
She blinked, turning to him. "Hmm?" She mumbled.  
  
"Are you sure you're all right?" Sonic asked.  
  
"No." She sniffed. "But I'll be fine. As long as we get there soon."  
  
"I think we're close." He reassured.  
  
She sat up stiffly, but eagerly, to gaze out the window as the world  
whooshed by them as they flew noiselessly over the ground in the small hover-  
unit Rotor had restored.  
  
After at least an hour riding, they came upon the deep valley Shelia  
had talked about. It was just as she described. Tall, tall sides with sharp  
rocky cliffs and huge bolder-like rocks. There were little signs of life,  
only several partially dried cacti and tumbleweeds and a few short stubby  
trees dotted the desert-like valley.   
  
Suddenly Shelia stood up. "Stop here!" She yelled, and as Antoine  
slid to a stop, she vaulted out of the vehicle and raced to the side of  
the canyon. She searched vainly for an opening. "Its here somewhere! I  
know it is!" She yelled, frantically examining the rock wall.  
  
Knuckles walked slowly up behind her, "Shelia... Calm down. We'll  
find it--" He started.  
  
"Look!" She exclaimed pointing to a small opening half-covered in  
rubble. She rushed over to it and began to dig through the rocks. "It's  
under here!" She yelled then turned back to the others, "Help me!" She  
practically ordered.  
  
They all obeyed and helped her clear away the doorway. Right as the  
last large rock was away and she could fit through she darted through the  
opening and pushed open the door.  
  
"Shelia! Wait for us!" Sally called, but the frantic girl had all   
ready disappeared into the doorway.  
  
Knuckles tried to go through after her, but the opening was still too  
small for him. They quickly cleared away the rest of the rubble and plowed  
They're way after her.   
  
"Oh my Gawd..." Bunnie said breathlessly as they walked into the  
cavern.   
  
It was lit adequately with holes through the rock ceiling, but the  
light only did add to the horror. There were blackened buildings everywhere,  
the charred remains of family homes, burnt to ashes leaving the entire  
floor surface covered in blackness. You cloud still smell the scent of  
burning flesh and fire. As they walked down the dark path, if you glanced   
into one of the half-burned buildings, you could make out the forms of   
mangled figures, most just burnt skeletons, but some were just rigid lifeless   
bodies, dried bloodstains all over there remaining flesh and fur. Sally and   
Bunnie tried to turn away, but every where you looked were the horrendous   
reminder of the painful deaths these animals had suffered.  
  
Shelia was standing in the middle of the road staring at a darkened  
building. She was all stiff, her body slightly slumped in a weak position.  
  
Sally walked up beside her. "Shelia... C'mon, lets go back home now..."  
She said softly putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
  
Shelia turned around and violently threw Sally's hand off of her. She  
all ready had tears streaming down her face, "This is my home!" She yelled  
and ran into the crumbling house.  
  
Sally stood startled and motionless for a moment. Then turned back  
to the rest of the group.   
  
Bunnie was trying very hard not to cry herself, but her eyes were  
red with held back tears. Sonic and Antoine looked very pale. Clawz looked  
more than sick himself. Only Knuckles looked slightly collected, but still  
he had a entirely sobering expression on his face.  
  
He stepped forward then looked to Sally. She nodded sadly at him.  
  
He continued and slowly entered the burnt down remains of Shelia's   
home. It didn't take him long to find her. She was standing right inside the   
doorway her face white as a sheet, her head facing away from the room and to  
the outside wall. She didn't move an inch at his appearance. It was if she   
had turned to stone. She was petrified with horror, and it only took Knuckles   
a brief moment to realize why. There, in the room in front of them, lay the   
gruesome scene of some agonizing death. Blood was strewn across the floor,   
thick and black with age and decay, and lucid with dead scent. He even had to  
look away as his eyes rested on the mangled body. It was if the animal had   
been slowly tortured, ripped to shreds piece by piece.   
  
Shelia, as if awakening from trance, began crying hysterically. She  
sunk slowly down the wall, her head against it, until her knees reached the  
floor. And she stayed there, tears flowing from her eyes as she wept in   
disbelief.   
  
"Please god, no... Momma... No, not her..."  
  
Knuckles bent down beside her, his throat aching, watching her pour  
her soul onto the bloodstained floor. She hadn't even noticed him, just kept   
sobbing, and let out a long wail of anguish. He put a hand on her back. She   
shrugged it off. He put one arm under her legs and another behind her neck   
and picked her up. She struggled for only a second then put her arms around   
his shoulders and helplessly wept into his chest.  
  
"No no no..." She repeated softly between sobs.  
  
He silently carried her out of the building and back out onto the ash   
filled road where the others were standing.   
  
Suddenly a huge metallic creak erupted from the silence as the ceiling  
began to collapse. The bright gleam of the afternoon sun burst into the  
cavern, bleaching the ashes and death with its rays. A loud, low and evil  
voice shattered the desolent cave. A large robot burst through the ceiling and  
hovered above them.  
  
"Now we've got you." He laughed. "Got you all. My master will be most   
pleased."  
  
Shelia took one look at the figure and went completely frantic. Her  
eyes filled with fear, as memories, memories of carnage and blood ran over  
her eyes, blinding her with absolute terror.   
  
There stood the true murderer of her mother, the red-eyed monster,  
Mecha-Sonic.   
  
"Hello there keeper." He growled almost happily in his fake voice.  
  
She said nothing, just trembled with fear in Knuckles' arms. He stepped  
back with shock. 'Keeper?' He thought, 'Is he talking to Shelia or me?' He   
mustered his strength and courage, but Sonic was the first to speak up.  
  
"What do you want here, you robotic reject?" He growled offensively.  
  
The one that had burst through the ceiling, slowly hovered down to the  
floor, his cobalt blue armor glinting in the blazing sunlight. He remained  
untouched by his counterpart's insult. He just laughed. "Stupid organic  
being. You must know what I have come for. The death of that keeper," He said  
pointing to Shelia, "And the rest of you to go with her."  
  
Shelia cringed, tears running down her white cheeks. Knuckles held her  
tighter. 'Keeper? Why does he keep calling her that? Why would he want to kill   
Shelia?' He thought, 'Why would anyone want to kill such an innocent angel?'  
  
"Not while I'm still around." Sonic challenged.  
  
"Exactly." Mecha-Sonic laughed flatly in its mechanical tone. "That  
is why I intend to kill you first." There was a metallic whisk as a long thin  
blue blade formed in his hand. Then, with almost insurmountable speed, his   
lunged forth at him, blade aimed at the heart.  
  
Shelia peeked out at the fray. 'No, no more killing.' She thought.  
'Oh god... Please spare them.' She prayed.  
  
Knuckles felt a sudden tugging at this mind, like a bolt had struck  
him. He felt a force calling, but not to him, but to someone else. But who?  
  
A loud echoing clank sounded as Mecha-Sonic's blade sank into the  
hard rock ground where Sonic had seconds before stood.  
  
He had been able to dodge out of the way, but just barely. This new   
Mecha's speed was incredible, more so than any other robot of its kind. He   
had only been able to slide out of the way in a scarce moment. But the robot   
had been far away then, now he was in close combat.   
  
Mecha-Sonic saw the fear in the hedgehog's eyes. "You're afraid of me?"   
It asked coldly, "You should be. I am not just another... How did you put   
it?... 'Robotic reject' was it?"  
  
"Shove it." Sonic growled with hostility.  
  
To Knuckles' surprise, Shelia suddenly sat up, and with a unexpected  
rage, she screamed out at the two fighting hedgehogs. "ENOUGH!" She yelled.  
  
Both fighters looked stunned.  
  
"Shelia?" Knuckles stuttered.  
  
She crawled out of his grasp, walking slowly and steadily right between  
the two combatants. She stood face to face with the evil Mecha-Sonic.  
  
"Shelia, what are you--" Sonic and Knuckles began simultaneously.  
  
Before they could finish, without a word, she withdrew a gun from her   
skirt, and aimed it into the eye of the robot.   
  
"Hey! That gun!" Sally yelled. She was almost positive she had locked  
the gun she had found in Shelia's possession in Rotor's workshop. How had  
she got to it?  
  
At first the robot seemed shocked. But then as he focused, he grew  
amused with the situation. He even smiled. "Dear girl, you dare to aim such  
a weapon at me? One that my own master made?" He asked quietly.  
  
"I know what you have come for. Do not harm the others. They play  
no part in this." She answered, slow and simply, still aiming at his head  
with the laser gun.  
  
'What is she talking about?' Sally thought, 'And why is she defending  
us? Maybe I was wrong about her after all...'  
  
"I would like to do that," It sneered, "But you see, they are my master's  
orders. An order is an order you know. Or didn't your brother teach you that?"  
  
Shelia cringed, but her anger and frustration rose. "Just take me, and   
I'll show you where the jewel is, but only if you let them go." She pleaded.   
  
The Mecha's eyes widened.  
  
"Jewel??" Clawz asked softly, more to himself than anyone.  
  
Knuckles had the oddest sensation about this whole situation. It all  
had to fit together somehow. Shelia, the 'jewel', this feeling...  
  
"Tell me and they will be set free." Mecha decided, after a bit of   
hesitation.  
  
"Set them free first and I will tell you." Shelia contradicted.  
  
The robot tried to growl, but it came out more like a mechanical hiss.  
"They are free to leave." He decided finally.   
  
Shelia seemed to be relived a bit. She looked back at Knuckles, Sonic,  
and the others. She spoke softly, "Go, please. I'll be fine."  
  
"But Shelia--" Knuckles began.  
  
"Please! Just go. I'll... I'll be all right."  
  
"Shelia, we're not leaving." Sonic said firmly.  
  
She turned back to them, trying not to show her real fear. "You must!  
This doesn't concern you! Save yourselves!" She pleaded, "I'll deal with  
this robot."  
  
Sonic was speechless.  
  
Sally gently put her hand on his shoulder. "Sonic, lets get out of  
here. This is her fight." She said softly.  
  
"But Sally-girl..." Bunnie sobbed, "We can't jus leave her here all  
'lone to fight this monstah!"  
  
"Look, obviously this isn't any of our business. Let's get out while   
we still can." Sally demanded. "And that's a royal order!"  
  
Stunned, the group began to slowly follow their leader back towards   
the door. Knuckles was last, and only then, having to be practically dragged  
off the scene by Clawz.  
  
Shelia sighed with relief as she watched them turn the corner.  
  
Mecha then addressed her. "Put the gun down now, keeper. Both you and  
I know it isn't loaded." He said firmly.  
  
She slowly let her arm fall to her side. She looked back at the robot,  
with glazed eyes. She turned away. "I knew you wouldn't kill me anyway. I'm  
too important to your plan." She said eyes brimming with tears. "I am the   
only keeper left, now that you have murdered my mother."  
  
Suddenly, Sally, who had been leading the others towards the exit  
stopped, then motioned for the others to follow her in back of a building.  
  
"Sal," Sonic asked, "What the heck are you doing?"  
  
"Shh!" She scolded, covering his moth with her hand. "You didn't just  
think I was really going to let Shelia face the Mecha-Sonic alone, did you?"  
  
Clawz smiled, "I knew it. I knew I had t've gotten somethin' in yer   
head wit dat lecture." He said.  
  
She smiled too. "Hey, Freedom Fighters don't abandon their friends!"  
  
"Thank gawd." Bunnie sighed.  
  
"We'll split up. Sonic, you stay here with me. We'll cover the front.   
Bunnie and Antoine, you two go to the sides. Clawz, you take the back." She  
ordered.  
  
"What about me?" Knuckles asked.  
  
Sally thought a moment. "Take the roof tops. We might need a surprise  
attack from above." She decided.  
  
"Right." He said.  
  
"Everyone, wait for my signal, then we'll attack together." Sally  
said softly. "Like Freedom Fighters should."  
  
They all silently saluted, then departed to their positions.  
  
Sonic and Sally sat alone together in the darkness.   
  
"Sal?" He asked, when the others had left.  
  
"What?" She answered, a bit shakily.  
  
He hesitated for a moment, then leaned over to look into her eyes.   
"I... We need to talk..." He whispered.  
  
There was a silence.   
  
"I've been miserable the last couple of days..." He admitted, "With  
you angry at me..."  
  
"I know." She said, and gently kissed him. "We'll talk later." She  
reassured, "But now its time to fight for freedom."  
  
He smiled and they looked around the corner quietly and watched the   
scene in front of them from the shadows, undetected by the robot.  
  
"I have done as you said and let the Freedom Fighters go. Now you  
keep your end of the bargain. What is the location of the ruby?" Mecha droned,  
growing impatient with all this idle chatter.  
  
Shelia was silent.  
  
"Well?" It growled.  
  
"I... I don't remember." She said softly, turning away.  
  
He jumped in front of her and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look  
into his glowing blood-red eyes. "You what?!" He snarled.  
  
She trembled as she looking into the eyes of the murderer of her   
family. Tears rolled over her cheeks. "I d-don't remember..." She whimpered.  
  
With that, he drew back, and striking her across the face, flung her  
to the ground. She lay there for a moment motionless, but she staggered to  
her feet again with unexpected persistence. Mecha lunged forth and grabbed  
her again. His blade erupted from his hand and he held it to her throat.  
  
"LIAR!" He snarled menacingly, "Don't lie to me, you little bitch! I  
know you know where the ruby is, now tell me, or die like the ones before   
you!"  
Knuckles felt himself cringe with her pain as she watched the scene  
from above. He wanted so to help her, tear that evil monster off her and  
rip it to pieces. How could he torture he like that? It made him angrier  
than he had ever been before. A blazing fury began to grow within him.  
  
"I.. I don't know... Please... I d-don't know..." Shelia whimpered,   
her body trembling like a leaf.  
  
Mecha-Sonic shook her violently. "Last chance, keeper!" Mecha threatened.  
  
Sally felt helpless. 'What can we do to save her?' She thought, 'We  
can't just attack him head on. It would be suicide!'  
  
"Please, please.." Shelia sobbed frantically, "I.. I can't..."  
  
He paid no heed to her pleas, but his knife drew back to get momentum  
for the kill, to slice through her neck with one single blow.  
  
Suddenly a blow struck the robot like a ton of bricks, sending him  
to the floor, the side of his headpiece dented. He stumbled back to his feet,  
trying to shake the malfunctions from his computer, and met with the eyes  
of a very angry echidna.  
  
Sally gasped. 'What is he doing?!' She screamed in her head, 'He'll  
get himself killed!'  
  
"You.. fsszt.. stupid ... tsstz.. " Mecha struggled to speak.  
  
Knuckles took advantage of this moment of weakness and swung at him  
again fiercely. He knocked the robot down again, but this time, instead  
of staggering back to his feet, Mecha flipped, and landed easily back in  
place, barely showing signs of sparking.  
  
He grinned evilly, "Thanks for knocking my mainframe back on-line  
echidna." He snarled, again drawing his metallic blade, "Now you will pay   
the price of knocking it out in the first place..."  
  
A sudden voice rang out from the shadows. "ATTACK!" Sally yelled,  
emerging from the cover.   
  
Sonic hit the robot with the full brunt of his most powerful sonic-spin,  
sending it flying into the wall. The blade was knocked out of his hand and,  
just missing Shelia's neck, it flew across the cavern, where Bunnie caught it  
with her robotic fist. She bent it easily until the hard metal snapped like  
a twig.   
  
Knuckles turned away to the fray to where Shelia had collapsed on the  
ground when Mecha had dropped her. Barely even thinking, he picked her up,   
and took her back to the roof, where she would be out of harm's way. She had   
buried her face in his chest, clamped onto him as if for dear life.  
  
"Shelia..." He said softly, trying to calm her.  
  
She sniffled, but didn't move, or loosen her grip.  
  
He kneeled down, putting a comforting hand behind her head. "You're  
safe now, Shelia." He reassured, "It's okay."  
  
She slowly looked up at him, still a bit shaky and confused.  
  
"You all right?" He asked.  
  
She nodded silently.  
  
He stared at her a moment as if expecting something else. She didn't  
move, or speak, just sat there, still holding him as tight as ever.  
  
"How come you're still holding onto me then?" He asked.  
  
"You... You saved me." She mumbled.  
  
"Of course I did." He said.  
  
"How come?" She questioned.  
  
He opened his mouth to say something about duty, and his responsibility  
as guardian, but closed it again as he realized he was no longer on the   
Floating Island. Protecting anyone here was not his job. He had never before   
cared what happened to an outsider, besides his friends Sally or Clawz, but   
he had known this girl for only a day. Why did she matter so much to him?  
  
"I... I don't know." He concluded finally.  
  
She smiled weakly. "Thank you." She said.  
  
"No problem." He said a bit awkwardly.  
  
She was still holding onto him.  
  
He felt hot. She looked almost beautiful there, her hair mussed and  
fallen over her emerald eyes, which still brimmed with tears. His pulse  
quickened.   
  
"Maybe we should get out of here..." He stuttered, starting to   
stand up.  
  
She put her hand on is shoulder to stop him. "Wait..." She said softly.  
  
He stopped, turning back to her. "What?" He asked.  
  
She leaned over and kissed him tenderly on the lips.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Chapter six: "Face Off"  
  
  
  
  
Mecha-Sonic pulled himself up from the rubble, shaking his head. He  
focused on the animal that had plowed into him. He had been injured only  
slightly by his blow, but his computer work had been knocked loose. This   
hedgehog would have to be eliminated immediately.  
  
"This time I ain't backing down." Sonic growled.  
  
"Foolish organic being..." The Mecha droned. "I am the exact   
mechanical copy of you, plus hundreds of improvements. You don't stand a   
chance."  
  
"We'll see about that." Sonic challenged.  
  
"It's your death wish, hedgehog." The robot said, then lunged at him  
viciously, pulling himself into a ball, his razor-like metallic quills  
protruding.  
  
Sonic jumped over him just in time, landing several feet away from  
his robotic twin. He laughed, "Is that the best you can do? My grandma can  
do a better sonic-spin!"   
  
Mecha was highly perturbed. He snarled ferociously, steam spewing from  
his hot joints and nose. He turned around and lunged at him again.  
  
Sonic jumped again and Mecha missed once more, but this time, he   
immediately turned back, and was able to surprise him from the back.  
  
Sonic tripped and fell onto the ground on his stomach.  
  
Mecha laughed. "Ha! I warned you hedgehog. There is no possible way  
you can beat me alone..."  
  
"That's why we'er here!" Someone shouted.  
  
Mecha turned to face the voice, but instead was met by a incredibly  
large boulder. It smashed into him, plowing him halfway across the cave  
and into the wall on the other side.  
  
Bunnie, the one who threw the boulder, rushed over and helped Sonic  
up to his feet again.   
  
"Y'all all right, Sugah-Hog?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah thanks, Bunnie." He said. "You sure took care of him!"  
  
"Hey, I guess this ole 'bot arm uh mine is good for something." She  
said patting her robotocized left arm.  
  
Antoine, Sally, and Clawz rushed to meet them in the center of the   
cavern and congratulate them.  
  
"Cherie, vous is really, how you say, kicking some butt, no?" Antoine  
said happily, taking Bunnie's hand.  
  
"Thank yah, hun." She said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, Sonic!" Clawz said giving him a high five, "You showed that   
punk who runs th' joint 'round here!"  
  
Sally gently touched him on the shoulder. "Yes, you did do a great  
job." She said softly.  
  
"Hey, what can I say? I am the coolest!" He said happily.  
  
"And oh so modest and humble." Bunnie added.  
  
"You too Bunnie." Sally said turning to her, "Great team work!"  
  
"Aw, shucks, 'twern't nothin'." She said modestly. "Mistah Knuckles   
was tha one to first beat the snot outta him anyway..."  
  
"That's right. Hey, were is he anyway?" Sally said looking around.  
  
"And what happen' t'Shelia?" Clawz asked.  
  
"I don't know." Sally said, "I hope they are okay."  
  
"We should form a search party!" Clawz suggested.  
  
"Monsieur Wildcat, zis is not a time to be thinkings of parties!"  
Antoine scoffed.  
  
"C'mon guys, let's go and look for them." Sonic said, ignoring the  
fox's English illiteracy.  
  
"Now zeres a good idea." Antoine said.  
  
Bunnie sighed, "C'mon sugah, we'll go look this'n way." She said  
pulling him down the street back towards Shelia's old home.  
  
They all separated and went their different ways searching for their  
lost friends.   
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
They parted slowly, pulling their lips apart softly, desperately trying  
not to break the tender moment. It had felt so good, and neither wanted  
the feeling to fade.  
  
He felt hot all over now. Her arms were around his neck, and his  
around her waist. His heart beat wildly.   
  
Shelia looked at his face, seeing the awkwardness in his eyes. She  
turned away, her face flush. Had she really done it? Had she really kissed  
him?  
  
Knuckles was finally able to find his voice. "Shelia..." He mumbled  
softly.   
  
She looked back at him meekly, her cheeks red.  
  
Their eyes caught, and so did the lump in his throat. "I... Uh... You..   
Whoa..." He stammered, still unable to find the right words.  
  
"I didn't mean to scare you..." She sniffed.  
  
Knuckles raised his eyebrows, "No, no! You didn't _scare_ me... Just,  
uh... Surprised me." He said smiling weakly. He gently touched her face.  
  
She smiled too, blushing an even deeper shade of red.  
  
She looked so beautiful like that, he thought, with her face all   
bright, her eyes still shining with crystal tears. So sweet, and innocent.  
He had never felt this way about anyone before... He leaned closer to her,   
still holding her head in his hand. He could feel her warm breath upon his   
lips...  
  
"KNUCKLES!!!" A loud voice echoed throughout the cave. "SHELIA!!!"  
  
  
The pair fell backwards in surprise. They sat up quickly again. Shelia,  
face still red as a beet, stood up.  
  
"Eh, the other's must be looking for us..." She mumbled, beginning to  
walk away.  
  
"Shelia, wait..." He said jumping up and running after her.  
  
"WERE ARE YOU GUYS!?!" Clawz yelled from down below.  
  
Shelia was at the edge of the roof now. She leaned over and called down  
to him. "We're up here!"  
  
Clawz looked up to see them standing on the roof of a nearby building.  
He smiled, "Are you all right?" He called.  
  
"Fine." Knuckles grumbled. 'He just has to interrupt everything doesn't  
he?' He thought bitterly.  
  
"Great!" The wildcat said. "Mecha-Sonic's done for, thanks t'Spikes and  
Legs!" He paused a moment, "What're you guys doin' up there anyway?"  
  
"Eh..." Shelia mumbled, turning red again. "Well, we were..."  
  
"--Hiding from the robot!" Knuckles cut off, "We were just keeping  
out of the way, that's all."  
  
Clawz looked confused for a moment. He watched them, Shelia with her   
flushed face, and Knuckles looking more than shaky. "Oh..." He said finally,   
smiling. "I see."  
  
Knuckles choked, "Wh.. What are you talking about?!"  
  
"Nothin'. I'm not sayin' nothin'. It's not any of my business." Clawz  
said, still smiling, and beginning to walk away.  
  
"Hey, wait!" Knuckles yelled, "Come back!" He jumped off the edge and  
landed on the ground and began running after him.  
  
Shelia, left alone on the roof called to him, "Knuckles! Wait!" She said  
"Wait for me!"  
  
He stopped and turned around. "No." He said sternly, "Stay here. I'll  
check if it's safe, then I'll come back for you."  
  
She frowned. "But I..."  
  
"Stay. I don't want you to get hurt." He said, this time softly. "Please."  
  
She said nothing.  
  
He smiled at her, then dashed off after Clawz.  
  
She stood there for a moment silent and motionless. Then slowly sat  
down again, smiling to herself contentedly. For a while, she was lost in  
a daydream, letting the memory of his kiss linger in her mind. There was  
something special about him, she could feel it in her heart...  
  
A thought rushed through her mind like a flash of lightning.  
  
"Heart..." She whispered, standing up. "I... I remember now. Oh,   
please let it still be there. I must get to it before anyone else finds it!"  
  
With that, she climbed down the side of the building and began to run  
Back towards her broken home.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Knuckles had finally caught up with Clawz, but before he could say  
anything to him, Sonic and Sally came running up to them.  
  
"What's the matter?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"It's Mecha-Sonic..." Sally panted, trying to catch her breath. Keeping  
up with Sonic was definitely not easy.  
  
"What 'bout him?" Clawz asked.  
  
"He's gone. Flew the coop. Disappeared!" Sonic said.  
  
"But I thought you said he had been destroyed." Knuckles said, turning  
to Clawz.  
  
"Well, obviously he hasn't. Me and Sonic went to go check if we could  
salvage any of his parts for our use, but when we got there he was gone!"  
Sally explained.  
  
"Not good." Clawz commented.  
  
"Oh no..." Knuckles mumbled.  
  
"What?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Shelia. I left her alone!" He yelled, "Mecha-Sonic still might be  
after her!"  
  
"And Mecha's probably allready called reinforcements!" Sally said.  
"We've got to hurry and get out of here!"  
  
"Don't worry, Sal!" Sonic said, "Hurry is my middle name!"  
  
"Then let's go!" Knuckles said, "We've got no time to loose! We've  
got to find her and get out of here before even more 'bots arrive!"  
  
"Then what are we standing around here for?" Sonic said starting off,  
leaving the others in a cloud of dust. "I'm up, over, and gone!"  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"Look, that's her house." Bunnie said to Antoine as she pointed out  
Shelia's house to him. "Maybe they went in thar."  
  
They were still searching for Shelia and Knuckles, as was the original  
search party's mission.   
  
Antonie trembled at the sight. "I am not zure goings in zere iz such  
a vonderful idea, mon cherie." He stuttered.   
  
"Well, it's mah best guess of where'n they went off to." Bunnie argued.  
"Have you'n got a better idear?"  
  
"Ah, vell... No, but--" He mumbled.  
  
"Good." She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him after her again.  
"Then we're goin' in.  
  
"I don't have a good feelings about zis..." Antonie mumbled.  
  
"Yo! Bun, Ant!" Sonic called as he sped up to meet them.   
  
Bunnie stopped, just as she began to open the door. "What's tha mattah  
Sugah-Hog?" She asked.  
  
The rest of the team caught up with him about this time. They had  
all ready searched the roof where Knuckles had left Shelia, but she was  
no where to be found.   
  
"Have you seen Shelia?" Knuckles asked them immedately.   
  
"Ah thought she was with you!" A confused Bunnie replied.  
  
"We were goings to search Madmosele ClearWaters' home..." Antoine  
explained.  
  
"No one with a weak stomach should set foot in there." Knuckles  
cautioned.  
  
"I theenk I'll be stayings out here." Antonie said, pulling himslef  
from Bunnie's iron grip.  
  
"I'm not afraid." Sally said. "We have to check if Shelia's in there."  
  
"Right." Sonic said, stepping forward and slowly opening the door. The  
rest, including an especially hesitant Antoine followed.  
  
Knuckles was surprised to walk into a empty room. Blood still remained  
on the floor, but the body he had seen before was gone.  
  
"What the..." He mumbled.  
  
"Oh mah stars..." Bunnie said softly, as the rancid smell flooded her  
nose. She covered her mouth.  
  
"Gag, it smells like something--" Sonic started.  
  
Knuckles clamped a hand over his mouth, "Don't you dare finish that  
sentance. Don't you realize this is where Shelia's family was killed?" He   
growled.  
  
Sonic paled. The echidna took his hand away slowly.   
  
"I.. I didn't know..." Sonic apologized.   
  
Knuckles ignored his comment, and began to search around the room.  
"I don't get it." He mumbled.  
  
"What?" Sally asked.  
  
"Before, when I followed Shelia in here, there was a dead body laying  
right there." He said pointing to where Antoine was standing.  
  
The fox yelped and jumped off the spot like it was a pit of hot coals.  
  
"Well, a corpse couldn't just get up and walk away." Sally said.  
  
"...Or could it??" Clawz said in a deep spooky voice, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Antoine yelped again.  
  
"Don't scare him like that!" Bunnie scolded, hitting Clawz on the  
back of the head.  
  
"I was just kidding!" He said in defense.  
  
"This is serious." Sally said, "We have to find Shelia. She could be  
in terrible danger!"  
  
Sonic leaned upon the fireplace restlessly as the others searched the  
rest of the house. Suddenly, upon doing this, the mantle shifted, and the  
back of the fireplace fell away to reveal a hidden passageway. "Hey, guys!   
Look what I found!" Sonic announced. He stepped into the fireplace and the   
others followed him down the long steep staircase that it held until they   
reached a large damp, tomb-like room.  
  
There in the center, was a large shallow grave. Beside it knelt   
Shelia, her hands soiled with dirt, and her face torn with grief. She held   
a tiny pendant in her hand, which she clutched to her heart.  
  
"Shelia..." Sally said quietly, but not moving.  
  
She turned slowly back to look at them and stood up.   
  
Sonic and Sally looked at each other. Sally nodded. Sonic stepped  
closer to Shelia. "Come back to Knothole." He said. "You are one of us now."  
  
"I... I can't." She said.  
  
"Why not?" Clawz asked.  
  
"I don't belong there." She said, turning back to look at the grave.   
"I belong here, with my mother."  
  
"Shelia, you have done all you can here." Sally said, "Come find a   
new mission with us. We can help you make Robotnik pay for what he has not  
only done to you, but hundres of other Mobians. If we stand together, one  
day we will triumph against him."  
  
"It.. It all sounds so tempting: Adventure, action, revenge." She said   
softly, "I wish I was like you."  
  
"You wish you were like me?" Sally said. She was at a loss of words   
for a moment.  
  
"You, Princess. Strong, brave, smart." Shelia said, "I'm not any of   
those things. I could never be like you."  
  
"But you all ready are."   
  
"What?" Shelia said.  
  
"You are brave and strong, and everything else." Sally said.  
  
"N.. No I'm not..."  
  
"Yes you are. It took courage to stand up to Mecha-Sonic like that.  
It took strength to face him by yourself and let us go. I know at first I  
didn't even belive in you, but others did, and you belived in yourself. You  
have proved yourself. You are strong, Shelia. Strong at heart."  
  
She stared at her for a long time, not moving, not speaking a word.  
Finally, she pulled her hand away from her chest, and looked at the object  
in her hand. She titled it, to let it fall and dangle from it's chain, then  
slowly lifted it up and put it around her neck.   
  
Now Knuckles could see it was the heart locket he had seen around the  
neck of the dead body before in the upper room. It had been Shelia's mother's,  
but now it was hers. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Slowly she began   
to walk towards them, but trembling she fell. Knuckles caught her easily,  
and picked her up agian. She began to cry.   
  
"Is.. Is she all right?" Sally asked.  
  
"She's fine." Knuckles said.  
  
"Poor lil' thang." Bunnie said, "Such a hard day."  
  
"Let's get her back to Knothole where she can rest." Sally said.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
No one said a word as they walked back to the vehicle out in the  
valley. The only noise that broke the silence on the way back to Knothole   
were Shelia's frantic sobs, that had quieted slowly as she began to grow   
drowsy. About halfway there, she had cried herself to sleep.   
  
Sally was deep in thought. She was so confused. What exactly had happened  
today? Shelia, a girl who she thought to be a hardened spy turned out to  
be a innocent pawn thrown into Robotnik's chess game. She wasn't quite sure  
how she fit, exactly, but for one thing she was sure: Shelia was one of them  
now.  
  
Sally turned her head slightly to look back at Shelia. She had tear   
stains streaked down her face, but otherwise she looked to be having   
peaceful dreams. Poor thing needed something to keep her spirits up. She was   
leaning against Knuckles shoulder, a hand still clutching to his arm. Sally   
was glad he was there, none of the others could handle that kind of emotion   
with such bravery. Sonic may be a hero, but he was nothing much when it came   
to crying girls. He had decided to run the way by himself, probably to keep   
from hearing Shelia's tortured sobs.  
  
Sally studied Knuckles from the corner of her eye. At first it seemed  
he had fallen asleep too. He was sitting up straight though, neck stiff,  
but eyes closed. He blinked opening his eyes halfway. He stared at the  
back of the seat in front of him with a confused expression on his face. She  
wondered what he was thinking about. He blinked again, as if making a   
decision to stop staring there and looked over at Shelia on his shoulder.  
He stared at her for a long time, too. She moved slightly, her eyes still  
closed, but her face twisted with pain. Knuckles emotionless gaze changed,  
his eyebrows tilted outward and his mouth tightened with concern.   
  
Sally for the first time realized what expressive eyes he had. Usually   
cold blue, and dark, his eyes seemed to hide any emotion he felt with a   
certain stubbornness, but now he didn't seem aware of Sally, or anyone   
watching him so he let it show. This made her even more curious. When they   
were children, when she met Knuckles for the first time on the Floating   
Island, he always seemed serious and rather melancholy. After the years had   
passed, and they met again, he still had the same demeanor, always wearing a   
stern and angry expression, like life had dealt him a bad hand of cards.  
  
But now he seemed perplexed to some degree. Shelia sobbed gently into   
his arm. He raised a hand as if to touch her, but put it back down again.   
He shifted uncomfortably. Sally wondered what was the matter with him. He  
had seemed so nonchalant when he first carried Shelia out of the building, as  
if he were performing duty, something he had to do. Shelia quieted her sobs,  
now only softly trembled as if she was cold. Knuckles made that concerned  
expression again. He looked absolutely terrified.   
  
Sally had to turn her gaze away as Knuckles looked up so he wouldn't  
know she was watching him. He looked around cautiously, as if for checking  
just that, but quickly returned his gaze to Shelia, still trembling at his  
side. He seemed to relax a little and Sally turned to watch them again. He  
put a hand on Shelia's shoulder, tilting his head down and to the side   
slightly to look at her face. He looked hesitant, but slowly lifted his hand   
from her shoulder and cradled her head in his hand. He put his other arm   
around her back and pulled her to his chest. Her sobs softened then stopped.  
She buried her face in his fur. For a second Knuckles looked uneasy once   
again, but then his expression changed altogether. A small smile formed on  
his lips. He actually looked happy.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"...Master... fstvt ... Robotnik... fzztt Come.. crackle in..."  
  
"Mecha?!" Robotnik roared over his communicator, "What in the gods'  
name happened to you?!"  
  
"The Freedom Fighters.. fstt ... hedgehog... ffsstx..." Mecha-Sonic  
sputtered, sparking like a broken toaster. His entire bottom half was   
destroyed, and now he crawled on his hands in the middle of the desert back  
towards Robotropolis.  
  
"Blast!" Robotnik snarled, "I thought I ordered you to call for  
reinforcements if you needed them!"  
  
"...spark... The Communication systems... drrk were temporarily   
down..."  
  
Robotnik looked like he was about to blow a gasket. "Damn! How could  
you let those... Those... Those animals defeat you?!"  
  
"... ffztt Tracking device... ddrzt implanted on Freedom... frzzt  
Fighter vehicle..." Mecha sputtered, changing the subject.  
  
"AH! So you can do something right, Mecha! Have you found anything  
else?" The human asked anxiously.  
  
"... Master... ssrzt I found the... grrax location of the ccrzt  
red jewel... drrzt.." Mecha struggled to continue to speak.  
  
"The ruby?!" Robotnik yelled, suddenly estatic, "Where is it?"  
  
"....FFRSST The ruby is ZZTXT .......... BBRSSTTSSZZZZZZT"  
  
"WELL?!" Robotnik screamed.  
  
"Connection lost." The computer on Robotnik's control panel droned.  
  
The entire city trembled with Robotnik's curses. He grabbed a SwatBot  
and jerked it in front of him. "Find that damned robot Mecha and bring him to  
me, or take a trip to the scrap heap!" He growled.  
  
"YES SIR, MASTER ROBOTNIK." The SwatBot said, "THERE WILL BE A SCAN  
OF THE GREAT UNKOWN IMMEDIATELY. TROOPS WILL BE SENT OUT TO FIND HIM."  
  
"Excellent!" He said, dropping the robot to the hard metallic ground.  
"You go do that... And bring me a sandwich too, would you?"  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Chapter seven: "A Story to Tell"  
  
  
  
Rain fell once again on the leaves of the trees of the Great Forest.  
This time, a healing rain, like that that falls on a site of a fire, cooling  
it making new things grow again among the ashes. New lives were starting,  
growing, maturing.   
  
New life, new friends, new love...  
  
She looked around her. All the new faces sitting around her little  
white bed in the medical room. Everything was changing, and had changed.  
It scared her, but yet, mysteriously made her feel more complete.  
  
Someone handed her a warm cup of tea. She sipped it gently. Then drew  
back and smiled sadly, "My mother used to make me this kind of tea when I  
was sick." She said softly.  
  
"My mother too." Said Rosie, siting down at the foot of her bed. "It  
warms the body, and mind."  
  
The sadness in her smile slowly faded. "Thank you."  
  
"How you feeling, Shelia?" Sally asked.  
  
"A lot better." She said.   
  
"Good." Sally said, "I know how hard it is to loose someone. I myself  
lost both my parents when I was young, as Bunnie and Antoine. I know   
Knuckles has just lost his father in the just the last few years..."  
  
Knuckles nodded. "Four years ago. He went on some dangerous mission  
in the Forbidden Zone, and never came back." He said softly.  
  
"My Uncle Chuck took care of me when I was still a kid." Sonic said,  
"But when the war started, Robotnik used him to test a machine called the  
roboticizer. It turns flesh and blood into metal and wires..."  
  
"It's what turned mah arm n' legs into this." Bunnie said, lifting her  
heavy robotic arm.  
  
"My mom died when I was born." Said Clawz sadly, "My dad was no  
father to me. He was a criminal, and a drunk. He was 'boticized like  
Sonic's Uncle Chuck. I nev'r knew what is was like to have a real dad."   
  
"You see Shelia, you really were lucky to keep your family until now.  
You should be truly thankful." Sally said.  
  
"I am..." She whispered, "But it still hurts."  
  
"I know. It will probably never stop hurting, when you lose someone  
you love. If it ever did, it would be a incredible miracle. The fact is that  
you still have to get on with your life, because your lost ones would not  
want you to grieve forever. They would want you to be happy, and to live   
life to the fullest."  
  
Shelia sniffed softly, "Thank you..."  
  
"You're welcome." Sally said smiling, "I know it's going to be hard,  
but, I need to ask you some important questions..."  
  
"I know, I know." Shelia said, "I must be quite a mystery. I want to  
explain myself. I need to."  
  
"Good." Sally said happily.  
  
"I have so much to say... I still don't quite remember everything   
completly... I don't know where to start." Shelia mumbled.  
  
"Start at the begging, and stop at the end."   
  
She smiled, then after some thought, she began her story.   
  
"It all began so long ago, and every thing is still so cloudy in my   
head, I hope I can remember it right... It was about... Eleven years ago, at   
the beggining of the Great War against the Overlanders. My father, James   
ClearWaters was the commander of an artillery squadron. I remember so little   
about him. Just that he cared for us in every way he could. He wanted us to   
be protected, and be able to protect ourselves. So, me and my brother,   
Jeremy, who I called Jem, went into gunsman training. (My mother didn't, for   
one reason: she was pregnant, and another: she didn't belive in violence). I   
was still so young, and a girl, so I wasn't admitted into the academy like   
my brother. I trained on my own though, despite my mother's pleas against   
it."   
"My mother. She was so beautiful and loving. She was, well a bit of  
an outcast. She was very spiritual, and religious. I did not know why until  
my fifteenth birthday, upon which she presented me with a incredible   
responsibilty. She was a keeper of two sacred stones, given to her ancestors  
long ago by a mysterious being. I was told to protect them as she did. I   
never knew that this job, as keeper of the stones, I would so greatly fail."   
"Back when I was still six years old, and my father still alive, and   
my family lived peacefully back in Mobotropolis so long ago, the war took a   
dreadful turn. A man named Julian had taken over the palace and the   
Overlanders invaded Mobotropolis, and my father sent my pregnant mother, me,   
and Jem, to a place out in the middle of the desert. It was a cave, where my   
mother's ancestors had once lived, and where the two sacred stones had for   
so long been hidden. My father stayed in Mobotopolis to fight. I learned   
later that he modified all our files in the Mobius computer files to say   
that we were dead, so Julian, now known as Robotnik, wouldn't come looking   
for us."   
"Unfortunately, although we were safe, my father was not. He was   
killed in battle shortly after we left. Since then we have been hiding out  
in the desert base together with select few other families. We went on  
living in peace, as long as the war raging on the outside did not effect us.  
Our job became to protect both the stones, and each other. But of course,   
the war has lasted much longer than we ever thought it would. Our food and   
water supplies ran out, and we had to turn somewhere to find more. The now  
transformed Mobotropolis was the only place. Small groups would try to sneak   
in and get food for us, and sometimes they would suceed, and sometimes they   
would not. Finally, Robotnik had enough of us stealing from him, and he   
captured me on one of our missions only a year ago. My family was counting   
on me to bring back needed supplies, so I made a deal with Robotnik. If  
he would supply us with the food and water we needed, I would hand over one  
of the crystals. The plan worked, and I gave him the Black Amethyst, and he   
gave me freedom and my family food.   
"It was not long after though, that Robotnik became greedy. He had used  
the dark crystal to contruct a super robot known as Mecha-Sonic, and he wanted  
the other crystal, the ruby of which Mecha spoke of. I was out practicing in   
the valley when I saw them coming to take it from us. I hid behind the rocks,   
and watched as the hundreds of robots stormed my former home. My brother was   
so brave, and he stood up to Mecha-Sonic, But it was no use. Mecha killed   
him, with one blow. They tortured my mother to tell them where the ruby  
was, but she would never tell. My little sister must have been killed with  
the rest of the others. I was able to escape, but soon the robots were onto   
me... And then..." Shelia began to stutter.  
  
"You ran into me." Sonic said.  
  
She nodded sadly, closing her eyes, letting tears form on their brims.  
  
Knuckles, who was sitting beside her on the edge of the bed, put a  
hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He knew he had felt something special  
about her, and now he knew.   
  
"So that's why your so good at handling guns." Sally mumbled.  
  
Shelia nodded. "Yes," She said softly wiping her eyes, "I learned how   
to use a basic laser gun when I was only five years old."  
  
"Woah." Clawz said, "Kinda scary: A 'lil kid wit' a gun."  
  
"I know." Shelia sighed, "My mother thought so too, but I so wanted to  
be like my father and brother... To be strong..."  
  
"Ah." Sally said thoughtfully, "So that's why Nicole's files said  
you were dead. It was so suspicious, it was what made me think you might  
be a spy working for Robotnik."   
  
"Never." Shelia said, rather sternly. "I would never work for that  
back stabbing, low-life, son of a--"  
  
"I still have one more question." Sally asked, interupting Shelia's  
interjection. "How did you get that gun after I locked in Rotor's workshop?"  
  
"That would be my fault, Sally." Rotor said, standing up.  
  
"Wha..?" Sonic said, his confused expression matching Sally's.  
  
"Shelia came to me and asked me if she could have it." Rotor said.  
  
"So you just _gave_ a complete stranger (no offense Shelia), a  
deadly weapon?!" Sally asked, surprised at her officer's ingnorance.  
  
"Don't be mad at him Princess." Shelia said, "I just had to have it.  
I begged and pleaded for him to give it back to me."  
  
"But why?" Sally asked.  
  
"It was the only thing that connected me to my past." Shelia explained.  
"It was very important to me. I didn't know why then, but now I remember. It   
was my brother's. He gave it to me before he.. Before he died..."  
  
Sally's face became more sympathetic.  
  
"Thankfully, Rotor gave it to me." Shelia said, smiling.  
  
"Unloaded ofcourse." Rotor added.  
  
Sonic stood up. "You mean you stood up to Mecha-Sonic with a unloaded  
gun?!" He yelled with surprise.  
  
Shelia looked down. "I... I guess so." she mumbled modestly.  
  
"Wow!" Clawz said.   
  
"You're so much braver than you give yourself credit for." Knuckles  
said softly, as he gazed at her.   
  
She smiled weakly, looking back at him for a second, then down in   
embarassment.  
  
"All that stuff you said about keeping those 'sacred stones'..."   
Knuckles said, changing the subject, "Does that mean... You're a...   
A guardian?"  
  
Shelia sniffled, "Not exactly." She mumbled.  
  
"What are you then?" He asked a bit confused.  
  
"My ancestors are 'keepers' not guardians." She tried to explain.  
  
"What's the differance?"   
  
"As a keeper, I was just to hide the stones, and keep them safe until,  
as it says in The Scrolls, when a true guardian appears. Us keepers are  
just temporary guardians really."  
  
"...The Scrolls...?" Knuckles mumbled.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Chapter eight: "A New Threat"  
  
  
  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
The elderly echidna looked down at his compainion restlessly. "I  
wish Knuckles would come back. I don't fully trust those friends of his  
with the entire island. They are kind of... How can I say this politely?..."  
  
"Irresponsible? Undignified? Irrational? Insane?" Archimedes suggested.  
  
"Exactly." Locke mumbled.  
  
The two associates were conversing over long table covered with papers  
and scattered books in the secret lair known as Haven. Locke is Knuckles'  
father, and was the guardian of the Floating Island before him. Now he  
secretly watches over his son through Archimedes the fire ant, who serves  
as Knuckles' mentor. Archimedes reports back to Locke periodically to   
inform him of Knuckles' progress.   
  
"Don't worry about it, sir." Archimedes reassured, "I'm keeping an  
eye on them. Besides, we've got more important things to discuss than the  
behavioral problems of the Chaotix."  
  
"Right." The echidna said returning to a bussiness-like mode, "I have  
discovered some more information about the book."  
  
"The book? You mean the 'Story of the Elements'?" The ant asked.  
  
"Yes." He answered. "I think I've figured out part of it's mystery."  
  
"Really, sir?" Archimedes asked enthusiactically, "What have you  
found out?"  
  
"The book is being entirely re-written, just as it was a thousand years  
ago..." He said.  
  
Archimedes looked confused, "Pardon, sir?"  
  
"I remember that when I read the original version, so long ago, it  
spoke of 'being written as it happened'." Locke said.  
  
"... Meaning...?" Archimedes, still confused, asked.  
  
"It means, I belive, that as the events it spoke of happened, it was  
written in the book, just as the events that are happening now are appearing  
here in the text." He explained, opening the thick book, and showing it to  
his confidant.  
  
Archimedes hopped up onto the page and surveyed the newly written words  
on the clean white page. He though a moment, then began to read aloud.   
"... After the awaited finding of the sacred diamond, the new creator   
(meaning Knuckles, I suppose) journeyed away from his island home, and down  
to the earth from hence it came. While being welcomed by old friends there,  
he met an interesting creature of beauty. Ever since the moment he saw her,  
he had sensed something about her was different, yet so familar. A monster  
had slew her family, and she was all alone. He felt compassion for her, and  
helped her. Only later did he learn that she possessed one of the elemental   
crystals he was searching for..."  
  
"Amazing, isn't it?" Locke asked him after he had finished.  
  
"You mean to say," Archimedes mumbled, "This is telling us what is  
happening right now, to Knuckles while he is down in Knothole?"  
  
"Apparently. It is telling us Knuckles' story, just as it told   
Arora-Sa's a thousand years ago." He said.  
  
"You're right." Archimedes said. "That is amazing!"  
  
"This proves it. Knuckles has been choosen!" Locke said, almost   
proudly.  
  
"What and honor!" Archimedes said, "Knuckles will be regaurded as  
a historical hero for the next thousand years!"  
  
"That is, if he can pull the job off." Locke added.  
  
"What do you mean?" Archimedes asked.  
  
"He has the incredible task of finding these 'sacred elemental   
crystals'. I hope he can handle it. He still is only a boy." Locke said,  
a little regretfully.  
  
"Don't worry!" The ant reassured again, "Knuckles' powers are   
increasing. His seventeenth birthday was not long ago, and soon he will  
no longer be a boy, or just an aprinticed guardian."   
  
"True, maybe I am underestimating him. I still wish he was back here  
on the island. Anything could happen while he is gone!"  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Night was falling over the ocean, and as the sun dipped beyond the  
horizon, a huge black craft arose from the waters, and undectected began  
to make it's way slowly towards the tropical island floating high overhead.  
  
Inside the dark halls of the ship, various preperations were taking   
place. Hundreds of soldiers clad in black shuffled about readying for the  
attack.  
  
A dark cloaked figured sat overlooking the commotion below. He   
surveyed the soldiers happily, his cybernetic red eye glowing. He sighed,  
and leaned back in his chair. "Finally..." He mumbled, "Another chance to  
take back what is truly ours..."  
  
A girl walked up behind him and began to massage his shoulders. "Yes,   
Master Kragok. With the Floating Island back in our possession, we'll be   
unstopable."  
  
"Mmm..." He mumbled in approval. "Yes... And it is the perfect time  
to strike, with the gaurdian away. Our ties with that fool Robotnik have  
finally become useful. His robots encountered the Guardian just a day ago  
down in the desert. It's a perfect, perfect plan!"  
  
The girl walked around the chair and sat in his lap. "You are such  
a genius, Master." She purred.   
  
"Hmm, yes I know." He said, smiling darkly, "After our victory over  
the Floating Island, what do you say we have a little 'private   
celebration'?"   
  
"Sounds like fun." She purred, leaning down and kissing him.  
  
"Good girl." She said, "You are dismissed now. Go help prepare for the  
attack."  
  
She nodded, and slipped off his lap and proceeded to the door. She picked  
up her robe on the way and pulled it on. She turned before exiting back to  
the dark half roboticized ecidna in the chair. "Thank you, Master." She said  
bowing, then took her leave. She went down the long dark hall a ways before  
stopping, making sure she was out of earshot, then spitting fiercly onto the  
cold floor.  
  
"Uggh!" She grumbled wiping her mouth, "I HATE having to be his stupid  
servant girl! As soon as we land, I'm outta here, for good!"  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
Chapter nine: "Wishing for the Past"  
  
  
  
  
  
"Where we going Sal?" Sonic asked as he followed Sally down the long dirt woodland path.  
She had asked him to come with her after they had left the infermary.   
  
"Here." She said stopping out in the dark feild, where the shooting targets had been  
earlier. Now they were gone, and the meadow was bare. It was dark, and the sky was black with  
night. The many small moons of Mobius shone a dim glow over the grasses.   
  
"Why are we here?" He asked looking around. They were alone.  
  
"I thought you wanted to talk." She said.  
  
"H-here?" He asked, a bit shakily.  
  
"What does it matter where we are?" She asked.  
  
"Uh... I dunno..." He mumbled, sratching his head.  
  
She sighed, almost sadly. "Well..."   
  
"Well..." He echoed.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment, as if expecting something.  
  
"Aren't you going to apologize?" She asked finally.  
  
"Me?!" He practically yelled, "You're the one who should be apologizing!"  
  
"For what?" She asked innocently.  
  
"For hanging all over Knuckles, that's what!" He said sternly.  
  
"Well you were all over Shelia, even before he was here!" She argued.  
  
"You started it!" He said back.  
  
"I did not!" She countered, "If it wasn't for you being so damn jealous  
all the time, none of this would of ever happened!"  
  
He was taken aback for a second. Sally didn't usually swear unless  
she was really upset. He didn't know it had made her so angry. His voice  
softened, "Sal..." he said, walking towards her slowly.  
  
She turned her back to him. "How does it feel?" She said, edging on  
tears, "Having someone turn thier back on you when you just want to talk?!"  
  
He put his hand on her shoulder. She threw it off. She didn't move to   
run away, just continued standing there with her back to him. Her shoulders  
twitched slightly, as she tired desprately not to break down and cry.  
  
Sonic was silent for a long time, but finally he spoke. "You know, it's  
kinda funny..." he said, then waited.  
  
She resisted the urge to turn and look at him. "...What?" She managed  
to choke out.  
  
"This feild and us here, like this." He said, rather vaugely.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She said, turning her head slightly  
to watch him from the corner of her eye. He had moved, and was now sitting  
in the grass about a yard away from her, with his back to her.  
  
"Don't you remember?" He asked, and she was silent, so he continued,  
"I guess not, but I sure do. I must've been at least six years ago..."  
  
Sally now turned fully around and stared at his back with pure  
confusion.  
  
"... We were here, at night, like now... I gues we must've snuck out  
or something, and we came here. We were talking, but then we started to   
argue about something, I don't remember exactly what, but I guess it doesn't  
really matter now..." He trailed off.  
  
A memory suddenly fell into Sally's mind. "I remember..." She mumbled.  
  
He looked back at her, surprised.  
  
"We... We were fighting about how many moons Mobius had." She said softly,  
"I said it was eight, and you said it was nine."  
  
He laughed, "Oh yeah!" He said, "What a dumb thing to argue over."  
  
She laughed too. She walked over and sat beside him. They were both silent  
for a while again, as they pondered over thier memories. They looked up at the  
beautiful moons.  
  
"So how many are there, anyway?" He asked.  
  
"Eight." She answered.  
  
"You sure? I coulda sworn it was nine." He said.  
  
"It's eight." She said.  
  
"Nine." He argued.  
  
"Eight!" She said, pushing him playfully.  
  
He laughed, laying on his back in the grass. "Yeah, sure, whatever."  
  
She looked down at him, feeling both sadness and hapiness at the same time. She  
was smiling, but yet she felt tears in her eyes. She looked away. She felt his hand on  
her shoulder, and when she turned around his face was next to hers.  
  
"Do you remember what else happened that night?" He said, in almost a whisper.  
  
She nodded slowly, feeling her heart beat quicken. "Yeah..." She mumbled. "You...   
You kissed me..."  
  
"It was our first real kiss..." He whispered, leaning closer to her.  
  
She suddenly felt a wave of guilt over her. "Sonic, I... I'm so sorry..."   
She said, a tear falling over her cheek, "I..."  
  
"Shh... No, no. Don't apologize. It's really all my fault..." He said,   
putting her finger to her lips, "I know you think it's stupid of me to be   
jealous, when I see you with Knuckles, or Geoffery, or any one else, but   
it's just because... Because I care so much about you... I want you all for   
myself... I know it's selfish, but I... I can't help it, you're so beautiful   
and smart and incredible... I can't apologize for needing you so much..."  
  
Sally's eyes spilled tears freely now. She took his face in her hands,  
"I know... I know..." She whispered.  
  
He hugged her tightly, and she hugged back.   
  
"...Just, just don't do that again, okay...?" She said, sobbing.  
  
"I won't... I promise..." He whispered.  
  
She pulled back to look at his face again.  
  
"It's nine." He said, grinning.  
  
She laughed, then kissed him.  
  
  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To be continued....  
  
Everyone: AAGHGHGHGHGHGHHHHHHHHHH!!!  
  
  
Yes, sorry again folks. It's time once again for that period of horrible waiting until the  
next part of this story comes out! Things have turned out all right for Sonic and Sally,  
but it looks like the Freedom Fighters are out for some trouble, with that tracking device  
implanted on thier vehicle! Will Robotnik learn Knothole's secret location? And what about  
the attack on the Floating Island by the Dark Legion? Will the Chaotix be able to handle  
it with Knuckles away? New tales, twist, and characters lie ahead! I hope to see you next  
time!  
  
~Erin Lindsey  
elindsey@ix.netcom.com  
  
And now you can visit Erin's great Sonic and furry art page, starring the one and only  
Shelia ClearWaters! Visit ClearWater Productions here:  
  
http://www.FurNation.com/clearwaters   
  
  
Disclaimer:  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Legalities: Okay. ready, set go!!!  
  
Sonic the Hegehog, Knuckles the Echidna, the Freedom   
fighters, the Chaotix, Dr. Robotnik, and any related   
characters are licensed characters of SEGA and Co.   
and/or DIC and Archie Adventure series Comics. Clawz the   
Wildcat and Shelia ClearWaters were created by Erin   
Lindsey. If you want any of my stories on your site,   
want to use any of my characters, you must have written   
consent of my aurthorization, beforehand.  
  
Send any questions, comments, or complications to:   
elindsey@ix.netcom.com 


	3. Lightest Before the Storm

"Lightest Before the Storm"  
Love and Hate part 3 of 4  
A Sonic fan-fiction story  
by: Erin Lindsey  
  
  
  
Rated PG-13 for a bit of profanity and slight sexual references.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The unforgettable author's note part one of part three of part sevenhundredandtwentytwo:  
  
Hola again everyone!  
  
Only one more part of the Love and Hate Series left after this! ::sob:: ::sob::  
But don't worry, there's plenty of action ahead. The Dark Legion and Mecha Sonic  
cause chaos, our heroes Sonic, the Freedom Fighters, and the Chaotix take the  
defense, Kayoss and Ace (the estranged spirits of the Chaos Emerald and Peace  
Diamond) make their return, all while Knuckles swoons over Shelia. New characters   
emerge and so does the plot (finally). Beware for laughs, tears, and of course the   
essential action and adventure!   
  
And as for the mushy stuff (lastish), it only gets worse from here on in... ;D  
  
After this series is over, I'm looking for a bit of a vacation from this line.  
But don't worry, I'm planning on co-writing a story with Orona Red. And after  
that, will come my next series in this lineage: "Hope and Despair", then my  
climatic last (planned) continuation "Life and Death." There is still plenty  
of twists and turns ahead.  
  
But don't worry, I won't be retiring anytime soon with my two words per  
minute typing speed...  
  
What a tangled web we weave... (felt like quoting Shakespeare)  
  
Anyway, enough of my babbling, and on with the story! Hope you like it!  
And don't forget, the legal junk is always at the bottom!  
  
  
~Erin Lindsey  
diamondneko@mail.com  
http://www.FurNation.com/clearwaters  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Chapter ten: "Sunshine on a Rainy Day"  
  
  
  
  
It was a rather chilly morning in the forest, and a thin mist hung in the  
air like an omniscient spirit, foreboding, yet oddly calming. Black clouds were   
in the distance, but for now at least, the woods were serene. It was quiet. A  
good sort of quiet, that made you stop and think where the sound had gone, and   
where those clouds had come. Much had happened the day before, and today would  
be a time of healing, before more fighting could once again commence.  
  
It was a short time of peace in the middle of a raging war.  
  
The air was crisp, and rising with the early morning sun, the dwellers of the  
secret forest village known as Knothole began to appear.  
  
A young echidna walked slowly though the courtyard. He rubbed his hands together   
as he walked. He wasn't used to this cold climate. His home was on a far away island,  
but for now at least, he was calling the forest his temporary home. He stopped and bent   
down next to a single, tiny red flower on the side of the pathway. He examined it for   
a moment.  
  
"Such a fragile little blossom..." He mumbled softly. "It'll die out here in the  
cold..."  
  
He gently dug around the plant's base, and taking care not to tear the roots, he   
lifted the little flower from the dirt, and holding carefully it in his hand, continued  
on his way.   
  
He walked towards the large building to the right with a red cross over the door, but  
his path was interrupted by a large brown wildcat.  
  
"'Mornin' Knux." The cat said cheerfully, "W'sup?"  
  
"Good morning, Clawz." He answered, "I was going to--"  
  
"--To see Shelia?" The cat finished for him, grinning slyly.  
  
"That's none of your business." Knuckles said, trying not to smile himself.   
"I might just be going to the lab for all you know."  
  
"Yeah? Then who's that flower for? Me?" Clawz snickered.  
  
Knuckles frowned. "All right, fine. So it's for her. Do you have a problem with that   
Wildcat?"  
  
"Noooo...." He said smoothly, grinning even wider.  
  
"Quit smiling like that," Knuckles grumbled, "She's sick, I just thought it would  
make her feel better, that's all."  
  
"Suuuurreee...." Clawz said in the same tone, still smirking.  
  
"Shut-up." Knuckles said, "You think you know everything..."  
  
"Because I do!" He answered smartly, "You're in loooovveee with her!"  
  
"I-I am n-not!" He stuttered.  
  
"Are too, that's why you're blushin'." He laughed.  
  
"Shut-up!" He growled, clenching his fist at him.   
  
"Hey, hey, don't get violent Casanova!" Clawz said holding up his hands, "I  
ain't lookin' for a fight!"  
  
"Yeah well..." Knuckles said, cooling down a bit. He looked up at the  
tall cat. "You're... You're not going to... To tell anybody are you?" He asked softly.  
  
"Naw." Clawz said beginning to walk away, "... Besides, it ain't none of  
my business..."  
  
Knuckles sighed, shaking his head as he watched the big cat leave. He then turned   
back towards his original destination: the infirmary, room 17, and. He walked slowly into the  
building, then taking a deep breath, opened the door to her room.  
  
She was lying there asleep in the small white bed in t he middle of the room. He  
was both disappointed and relived at the same time. He had truly wanted to see her, talk to  
her ask her questions, hear her voice... But he still felt rather awkward around her, ever since  
she revealed her identity as a 'keeper' he had mixed feeling about her. She was so beautiful,  
and innocent, like she had been shielded from the world in that cave. Yet, she had knowledge  
about the sacred stones far beyond what he knew, and that made him feel rather unworthy as  
his title of guardian. He had so many things to ask her...  
  
He walked quietly over to her bedside and put the flower in a pot of similar blue flowers   
on the table there. He looked over at her.   
  
He smiled weakly. 'She sure is cute when she's asleep...' He thought. He let a passing  
fantasy of crawling into bed beside her wandering into his head, but he shook the thought  
away. God, he had only known her for a few days...  
  
She stirred suddenly, popping him out of his trance-like stage. She rolled over on her  
side, her back facing him. He decided it was time to make a tactical retreat, but as he opened  
the door it creaked loudly. She sat up startled. He froze.  
  
She rubbed her eyes. "Knuckles...?" She asked.  
  
He turned around slowly to face her. "Uh... Yeah..." He mumbled.  
  
She pulled the blanket up to cover herself. "Wh-what are you doing here?" She said,  
running her fingers through her hair nervously.  
  
"Well, I er... Um... I just uh, wanted to see how you were doing..." He managed to  
stammer.  
  
"Oh." She said. "I'm okay, I guess." She said.  
  
"That's good." He said.  
  
There was a short pause.  
  
"So... When does the doctor say you can get out of the infirmary?" He asked, breaking  
the awkward silence.  
  
"He said in a few days, but I feel fine right now. I don't see why I have to stay in  
here like a sick person." She complained.  
  
"Well, why don't you just get up?" He said, "The doctor isn't around..."  
  
Her eyes widened, "Could I really do that?"  
  
"Sure. Why not?" He said. "Just for a few minutes. We could take a walk, and be back  
before any one even knew it."  
  
She smiled. "I think I will!" She started to lift the covers, but stopped suddenly and  
looked up at him.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Er... Do you mind stepping outside for a minute while I get dressed?" She asked, blushing.  
  
"Oh!" Knuckles said rather embarrassed, "Yeah, no problem..." He turned quickly and went   
out the door. He stood there for a few minutes, trying to hide his impatience. He leaned against   
the wall. He could hear her moving around.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and Shelia emerged. He stood up   
straight. Her hair was combed and fixed nicely, and she was wearing new clothes. Instead of the   
pink dress she had worn before, she was now wearing a tight green T-shirt and blue-jean shorts.  
She looked even better than before...  
  
"Where'd you get the new clothes?" He asked, trying to sound casual.  
  
"They were in a trunk of other things Sonic and Clawz recovered from my village." She  
said softly, "...Do you like them?"  
  
'Hell yes!' He thought, but said, "Yeah, they look nice."  
  
She smiled, "Thanks..."  
  
He put a hand gently on her back, "Come on, lets go." He said.  
  
They walked out of the infirmary and into the courtyard. Shelia took a deep breath. It  
did feel good to get out of that stuffy hospital room. The air was crisp and fresh, although  
a little chilly.  
  
They walked out onto a woodland path.  
  
"Sure you're feeling all right?" He asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. I feel great. Just getting out in the air again makes me feel a whole lot  
better." She said happily.  
  
"Good." He said, "I knew the fresh air would help."  
  
"I love the way is smells here in the forest..." She said closing her eyes.  
  
He gazed at her. "Yeah..."  
  
"Winter will be here soon, I can smell it in the air..." She said.  
  
He leaned closer to her, and took a gentle whiff of her hair, out of curiosity.   
"Mmm... Like roses..." He mumbled.   
  
"Actually its more like pine needles." She said opening her eyes.  
  
He jumped back, "Er.. Yeah..." He stuttered. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.  
  
She stopped and looked at him with confusion for a moment.   
  
"What?" He asked, trying to sound innocent.  
  
"Nothing..." She said, and as she began to walk again, she teetered a bit. "Oh boy..."  
  
He caught her shoulders. "Are you okay?" He asked with concern.  
  
"Oh.. I just felt kinda dizzy all of the sudden..." She said, putting a hand to her head.  
  
"Here, you better sit down for a while." He said leading her to a log and sitting her  
down. He sat beside her.  
  
They sat in silence for a moment.  
  
"Maybe I should take you back..." He said reluctantly.  
  
"No!" She said rather sharply, but then changed her tone to a softer. "We were having such   
a nice time..."  
  
"But if you're not feeling well..." He began.  
  
"I'll be fine, I-I just need to rest for a moment. That's all." She insisted.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
About then, she noticed one of his hands was still on her shoulder. He noticed too. But  
instead of taking it off, he left it there. She felt herself flush a little. She gathered a  
bit of courage, then gently put her hand over his. He was rather surprised.  
  
"Besides," She said meekly, "I like being with you..."  
  
"Y-you do?" He stuttered.  
  
"Yeah..." She admitted, "At first I thought you were weird, but really... You're a sweet  
guy..."  
  
"I am?" He asked.  
  
She nodded. "And when you saved me before... You were so brave..." She said, "You risked  
your life for me... No one's ever done that for me before..."  
  
"I... Shelia... You..." He mumbled trying to find the right words.  
  
She put a finger to his lips. "Shh..." She whispered, taking it away. She leaned closer   
to him, closing her eyes.  
  
He gulped, but then he felt himself leaning to her. He closed him eyes too, seeing with  
his heart. He felt their lips caress, then their mouths slowly open, and her warm wet tongue  
in his mouth. He slowly put his other arm around her, holding her close as they kissed. She  
tasted so sweet... She smelled so wonderful... She felt so soft... He never wanted this   
incredible feeling to end...  
  
It was a long time before they came out of the forest and started back to the infirmary.  
  
As they came to the courtyard once again it began to rain. But instead of running into  
the nearest building, they walked slowly on, barely even noticing it. When they came to the  
infirmary doors they just stood there, not knowing what to say. They were both wet and cold,  
but didn't want to leave each other. Finally he hugged her tightly, whispering a soft good-bye  
in her ear, then she walked reluctantly up the stairs, and giving him a sad smile, closed the   
door behind her.  
  
He sighed, but his sorrow soon turned to pure joy. He ran through the rain smiling all   
the way back to his own cabin.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Chapter eleven: "Technical Difficulties"  
  
  
  
  
Deep within the metallic catacombs of the laboratories inside Robotropolis, sparks  
flew. Both the real and metaphorical kind. Snivley and several workerbots were busy at work  
repairing the bottom half of the nearly destroyed Mecha-Sonic that had just been recovered  
from the deserts between the mechanical city and the Great Forest. Mecha's upper half  
sat in front of the lumbering Robotnik while he thoughoughly interrogated the robot.  
  
"WELL?!" Robotnik yelled impatiently, "Can you bring up you're memory files YET?!"  
  
Mecha glared at him with his red eyes and crossed his arms. "Patience master," He  
hissed softly, "My computer work was damaged in the fray, but I put the information in a  
safe place... Now if I can just pull up the access code..."  
  
The 'fray' Mecha spoke of was the one between his/itself and Sonic, Knuckles, and Bunnie  
who ended the fight by smashing him with a huge boulder. The fight had been over the pretty  
Shelia ClearWater's fate, and that of the still unseen Love Ruby.  
  
Robotnik let out a snort of distaste. He hated waiting as much as his nemesis the   
hedgehog. He was barely able to hold it in for another moment while Mecha continued to comb his   
files. The information was worth waiting for... The location of the aforesaid ruby, and the   
homing device controls that could lead his armies into Knothole...  
  
Mecha beeped suddenly, causing the large man to stop his pacing and rush to his  
creation's side once more.  
  
"WELL?!" He repeated anxiously.  
  
Mecha looked up at his master with satisfaction. "Files found." He said.  
  
"...And?"   
  
"The location of the ruby is confirmed." The robot said, "If my memory serves me right,  
and I know it does, I detected a power source of incredible magnitude in a small charm that  
the keeper female wore around her neck after the battle."  
  
"You mean the blasted ruby is in a necklace?" Robotnik exclaimed.  
  
"Yes master." Mecha said nodding.  
  
"And the homing device you implanted on the rebel vehicle...?"  
  
"... Is still functioning. They have not detected it. I will be able to pinpoint the  
location in a matter of minuets." He finished.  
  
"Excellent!" Robotnik roared, picking up the robot. "You make me proud, Mecha! You  
shall be the one leading our attack against the hedgehog and his helpless friends! Finally I'll  
be rid of them and their incessant meddling forever!"  
  
"Sir..." Mecha mumbled, "I would need my other half before proceeding with the attack..."  
  
"OH! Yes, quite." Robotnik said, setting Mecha's top half on top table again, where  
the workerbots and Snively were just finishing up.   
  
Robotnik turned and looked out onto the grimy city below with pride. He grinned evilly.  
"Well... If it the ruby is still around that pretty keeper's neck... We'll just have to...   
'remove' it..."  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Back in another place, far away from Knothole, the Floating Island hovers high above   
some unknown region of the planet Mobius. The guardian of the island, and of the two sacred   
stones on it at the moment, Knuckles Echidna, had left the island, and went to the Freedom   
Fighter base in the Great Forest known as Knothole. There he hoped to find out more   
information on the mysterious Peace Diamond, an of course visit his good friends Princess   
Sally Acorn, rightful owner of the Mobius crown, and his childhood friend and former bounty   
hunter turned soldier, Clawz Wildcat.   
  
During his absence, Knuckles left his allies, the Chaotix team, in charge of the island,   
and his mentor Archimedes in charge of the Chaos Emerald and the new found diamond.   
Unfortunately, the Chaotix are beginning to grow restless after their leader's lengthy trip   
away from home.  
  
It was a rainy day on the Floating Island. The sky was dark with large, ominous black   
clouds. Loud thunder echoed across the island, creating a small earthquake. The ground trembled.   
Rain poured. Lighting lit the sky.   
  
"Damn, I hate rain." Mighty grumbled.  
  
The Chaotix team were all gathered around a small fire in the center of the room. The  
room was actually a huge hollowed out tree, which they used as rather a headquarters. Mighty  
was looking out the window sourly at the rain. Vector was sitting on a rock by the fire.  
Espio was laying in a makeshift hammock reading a thick leather-bound book. Charmy was sitting  
beside him, wrapped a blanket and trembling.  
  
"M-me too..." The bee said softly, agreeing with Mighty's earlier statement.  
  
"Me three, G." The big green crocodile said. "I cain't get any good tunes!" He said  
shaking his walkman furiously.  
  
"The electrical current from the lightning must be causing the malfunctions..." Espio  
mumbled, not taking his eyes off the book in front of him.  
  
"Uh.. Yeah..." Vector said, rather confused.  
  
"The lightnin' is screwing with yer music." Mighty translated.  
  
"Oh." Vector said with realization. "Dumb 'bolts! I hate rain!"  
  
A huge wave of thunder struck the island again, shaking the hollow tree like a brittle  
leaf. Charmy whimpered and hid under his blanket.  
  
Mighty laughed at him. "Scared of a little thunder, Charms?" He asked.  
  
"N-no..." Charmy answered meekly, still under the covers. "It-it's just warm under here,   
th-that's all..."  
  
"Suuuurree..." Mighty said. "And Vector's mom ain't ugly!"  
  
"Hey!" Vector said.  
  
"Oh, leave them alone Mighty. Your just mad because you can't go outside." Espio said,  
still reading.  
  
"Yeah, po' lil 'dillo cain't go out an play!" Vector said, laughing.  
  
Mighty turned and hit him across the back of the head.  
  
The croc was about to retaliate, when and incredibly loud and strong crash of thunder  
caused the island to lurch horribly. The entire tree was thrown to the ground. The Chaotix  
tumbled about inside helplessly. Moments later the shaking subsided, and the storm quieted.  
  
Espio sat up and looked around dazedly. He had been thrown from his hammock and entirely  
across the room. Mighty was lying on his back on top of poor Charmy, while Vector pulled   
himself out of the rubble that used to be Espio's bookcase.  
  
"M-Mighty!!" Charmy grumbled from underneath him, "I c-can't breathe!"  
  
The armadillo flailed his arms, but to no avail. "I've fallen and I can't get up!"  
  
"That was so last millenium." Vector mumbled.  
  
Espio helped Mighty to his feet, and practically scraped Charmy off the ground.  
  
As Charmy regained his senses, he noticed odd smell. "Hey guys... What's that smell?"  
  
"Wasn't me." Mighty said.  
  
"No... It smells like..." Charmy began.  
  
"Smoke! Fire, fire!" Espio shouted, pointing to the opposite end of the tree, which was  
now up in flames.  
  
"I knew we shouldn't of started a fire inside a tree." Mighty commented.  
  
"Shut-up!" Vector said hitting him on the shoulder, "Let get outta here before we're   
turned to extra-crispy Chaotix!"   
  
They all agreed on that point, and rushed out of the burning tree as fast as they could,  
forgetting their belongings, which they regretted as they watched the smoldering wood collapse  
and burn everything inside.  
  
"My walk-man!" Vector groaned.  
  
"My books!" Espio winced.  
  
"My blanket!" Charmy sobbed.  
  
"My... er... Never mind. I don't have any important stuff to worry about." Mighty said,  
laughing.  
  
The rest of the Chaotix turned and gave him a dark stare.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Wasn't it his idea to start that fire?" Charmy asked.  
  
"I think it was." Espio confirmed.  
  
Mighty broke into a sweat. "Eh... C'mon guys... I was just playin'..."  
  
"Lets get 'em." Vector said, cracking his knuckles.  
  
Mighty dashed off in the opposite direction. He was soon followed by an angry chameleon,  
crocodile, and honey bee.  
  
  
  
  
*****   
  
  
  
Chapter twelve: "Foreshadows"  
  
  
  
  
The storm was raging, making it incredibly had for the Dark Legion's warship to make  
it to the Floating Island. Even though the weather had pushed them back in their attack plans,  
they continued on, readying for the strike. Some of the soldiers were already manning their   
vehicles. Others were waiting out the rain in the barracks.   
  
The young servant girl from before was in her room, throwing things hastily into a  
bag. She tossed a green combat vest, a yellow belt, a grappling hook, and various other articles  
into the bag. She heard a knock on the door. She grumbled, but opened the door anyway.  
  
A dark violet male echidna dressed in the trademark black robe greeted her. He was  
frowning.  
  
"Oh, er... Hi Lysander." She mumbled glumly.  
  
"Hello to you too, Julie." He said firmly, "Why are you not readying for the attack  
like Master ordered? I saw your ship was unmanned."  
  
"None of your business." She snorted, trying to close the door on him.  
  
He slipped through. He noticed her bag. "Why are you packing?" He asked.  
  
She sneered at him. "I SAID it's none of your business! Now get out of my room!" She  
growled at him.  
  
"Sure it's my business!" He retorted, "You're my sister!"  
  
"Look Ly, I don't need you to take care of me!" She insisted. "I can take   
care of myself!"  
  
"I asked you why are you packing." He said sternly.  
  
"And I said it's none of your damn business!" She snapped.  
  
He stared at her angrily for a moment. She sure was stubborn. But so was he.  
  
"Are you planning on going somewhere?" He asked.  
  
"Maybe I am." she said softly, turning her back on him.  
  
"Julie-Su, just tell me all ready! we both know I'm not leaving until you do!"   
  
She sighed, "As soon as we get on the Floating Island, I'm leaving the legion." She   
said softly.  
  
He was shocked. "What?!" He asked, "Master Kragok is letting you go? I thought you  
were his favorite!"  
  
Julie-Su shuddered at the thought of her master. Having to be his slave was pure torture.  
Kissing him and touching him... The things she had been forced to do... She shook the feeling  
of disgust away.  
  
"Who says I got his permission?" She said.  
  
Lysander's eyes widened. "You mean your ditching us!?" He said, even more shocked.  
  
She frowned. "I hate it here. I'm nobody's maid or mistress anymore!" She declared.  
  
"Y-you can't be serious!" He said skeptically. "If you get caught you'd be killed!"  
  
She snapped her bag shut and threw it over her shoulder. She looked back at him   
bitterly. "What do you care?" She spat.  
  
His stern expression softened. "Julie... You know that I do care." He said softly,   
putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're my favorite little sister."  
  
"I'm your only little sister Ly." She said, sighing again.   
  
"I just don't want to see you get killed, all right?" He said.  
  
"I... I know. I won't. I promise I'll be careful." Julie-Su said. "Hey, the Floating  
Island's gotta be a safer place than this dump of a air ship."  
  
"You should stay here. We're a family. We fight for our cause, together..." He said.  
  
"Not anymore." She said. "It not about Dimitri's vision anymore. Kragok has corrupted  
the system, and I'm not gonna take it. Besides, I never wanted to be here in the first place."  
  
He smiled sadly. "I wish you hadn't followed me so long ago..."  
  
"So do I." She snorted.  
  
"If you really want to take this risk... Well, I guess I can't stop you." He said.  
  
She smiled too. "Nope, you can't." Then stepped by him and out the door.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
  
A beautiful emerald-haired woman sat smiling contentedly on a her pedestal, staring  
into the crystal walls before her. 'Everything is going perfectly as planned...' She thought  
happily, 'Rona is working her magic, the freedom fighters will fall to Mecha Sonic's wrath,   
the Dark Legion will attack and takeover the Floating Island, and all while that fool the   
guardian is off cavorting with Venus' keeper!'  
  
She laughed, rather wickedly.  
  
"Something funny, darling?" A tall man in a white suit asked light-heartedly.  
  
She turned to him. "Oh, hello Ace! Everything is just wonderful!" She said.  
  
He was shocked. She wasn't usually this cheerful. She didn't even protest  
to his calling her 'darling'.  
  
She stood up, still smiling and hugged him.  
  
Now he was even more surprised, but wasn't complaining. "What's got you in such a   
good mood, Kay?" He said smiling.  
  
"Nothing, nothing. I love a rainy day, don't you?" She said, almost giggling.  
  
"I... I suppose." He said slowly, in confusion.   
  
"Only one thing could make this moment more perfect..." She said, running her thin  
fingers through his white hair.  
  
"And what is that?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
"Oh, I think you can use your imagination. You're a big boy..." She said slyly.  
  
She definitely wasn't acting normally. Something was up. "Kayoss, what is going on?" He   
asked sternly.  
  
She smiled innocently. "What are you talking about darling?" She purred.  
  
"Darling?" He asked. "Since when do you call me that? I thought you 'wished I had  
never came.'"  
  
"Oh, don't be silly." She said, putting her arms around his neck. "I said no such thing.  
Do I have to be in a good mood for a reason? I just feel good today, that's all."  
  
His unsure expression didn't change. "You're up to something..."  
  
Instead of answering him, she kissed him solidly on the mouth.   
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
The rain was pouring now. The sky was dark, and a break in the clouds was nowhere to  
be seen. But paradoxically, the mood of the residents of Knothole where the complete opposite  
of what would be expected. Everyone was gathered in the large meeting hall in the center of  
the courtyard. Plans were being discussed, missions being recapped, stories being told, and  
of course, gossip was being passed, mostly by word of big-mouth Clawz Wildcat.  
  
"You don't say!" Bunnie whispered anxiously.  
  
"Yup, it's th' truth." He said, smiling broadly and adjusting his sunglasses.  
  
"Ah woulda nevah thought!" She said.   
  
"Thought what?" Sonic asked, suddenly popping into the conversation.  
  
They didn't seem to notice him.  
  
"I noticed it too." Sally said to Clawz, "When we were coming back from the desert."  
  
"Noticed what?" Sonic asked.  
  
Again, no one answered him.  
  
"Ah, amour." Antoine sighed. "I knew eet vould happen to them later or sooner."   
  
"What about armor?" Sonic asked.  
  
Antoine finally answered him. "Zats 'amour' you fuel." He snorted.  
  
Sonic looked even more confused. "Say what?"  
  
"He means 'love' Sonic." Sally translated.  
  
"Oh." He said sitting down beside her. "Who's in love? Besides yours truly."  
  
Sally smiled and put her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I theenk I'm going to be seek." Antoine said rolling his eyes.  
  
"Ditto." Clawz muttered.  
  
"Quiet you two!" Bunnie scolded.   
  
"So, what's the story?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Well, it seems that Mistah Knuckles is sweet on our newcomer." Bunnie whispered.  
  
"Who, Clawz?"  
  
"No, don't be sick!" The wildcat hissed, "She means Shelia!"  
  
"Oh!" Sonic said with realization. "Really? Them two? No way."  
  
"Was it easier to imagine Clawz and Knuckles?" Sally asked.  
  
"Cut it out Sal," He said making a disgusted face, "You're giving me mental pictures  
that I definitely don't want to see!"  
  
Clawz took this opportunity to punch the hedgehog in the side.  
  
Sally looked over at Knuckles and Shelia sitting together at a table on the  
other side of the room. "I just hope everything works out for them." She said, almost  
sadly.  
  
"Whatta ya mean L.P.?" Clawz asked, "Why wouldn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, Sally-girl. I think they're perfect fo' each other." Bunnie said.  
  
"Well... I don't mean to be pessimistic, but sooner or later Knuckles is going to  
have to go back to his island. Shelia wants to fight against Robotnik with us, and she'll  
want to stay in Knothole, so..." Sally trailed off, letting the sentence finish itself.  
  
"I didn't think about that." Clawz said.   
  
"Well, it don't look like they have neither." Bunnie pointed out.  
  
She was right. Knuckles and Shelia were totally oblivious of anything except each other   
at the moment. He sat across from her watching her intently as she told him about the legends  
her mother taught her as a young keeper of the love ruby and hate amethyst.  
  
"And what about 'the scrolls' you were talking about?" He asked.  
  
"Well... Actually, I have never seen the entire scrolls, but a part of them were   
given to my ancestors, five hundred years ago." She said.  
  
"Why?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know, really. I guess to keep them out of the hands of evil, or something."  
  
"Huh... That's weird." He said thoughtfully. "Well, what did they say?"  
  
"Along time ago, the eight sacred stones were made by one known as The Creator--" She   
began.  
  
"Eight?! There are eight sacred stones?" He interrupted.  
  
"Yes. If I remember right, there's one for chaos, peace, love, hate, hope, despair,  
life, and death." She explained. "Each keeper takes care of their stone until the true guardian  
comes and assumes responsibility."  
  
"How come you know so much more about this than I do?" He sighed.  
  
She gave him an odd stare. "Why would you know anything about the stones? Are you  
a keeper, too?" She asked.  
  
He sat up, "Uh... No." He answered, trying to sound somewhat convincing. "I just,  
uh... Never heard anything like it."   
For some reason, he decided to hide his identity as guardian from her, for now. He felt   
that if she knew, maybe she wouldn't treat him as she did now. And he definitely didn't want   
that.  
  
"But of course, I've never met anyone like you before, either." He added.  
  
She laughed softly. "You're so corny..."  
  
He laughed, too. She was so great...  
  
He felt her foot rub gently against his.  
  
Boy, was she great.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Chapter thirteen : "The Attack"  
  
  
  
"Everything is in order for our attack, Master Robotnik." Mecha Sonic said happily,  
"The troops are assembled, and I am ready to lead them."  
  
"Excellent!" Robotnik beamed. "Finally those Freedom Fighters will learn never to  
mess with Doctor Iv Robotnik!"  
  
"We await only your permission." Mecha said.  
  
"You have it. Begin the bombard immediately. And don't spare a one of them." The large  
man growled.   
  
"As you command, master." The robot answered, bowing out the door. He headed out  
the building as fast as he could. The troops were locked onto his homing signal that he had  
implanted on the Freedom Fighter's vehicle. They would arrive in Knothole only a few minutes   
after he did. It was going to be pure pleasure seeing his organic counterpart and his friends  
into their graves.   
  
  
  
***** *  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hey, everybody look!" Tails said suddenly, jumping from his seat by the window sill.  
  
"What's the matter Tails?" Sally asked, as he rushed past her and out the door.  
  
"Come look and see!" He yelled, all ready outside.  
  
Everyone got up and followed him with much curiosity.  
  
Sonic, of course was the first out the door. "What's up lil bro?" He asked, but the   
question soon answered itself. A small pure white flake landed on his nose.  
  
"Hey, it's snowing!" Shelia said happily.  
  
"Snow...?" Knuckles mumbled, a bit confused.  
  
Everyone else came out into the courtyard. They were all silent for a moment. The snow  
began to collect in mounds by the sides of the buildings, and soon, flake by flake, the entire  
ground was covered.  
  
Suddenly the white silence was broken with the sound of a snowball whizzing through the air.  
It hit Sonic in the side of the head.  
  
"Ow!" Sonic yelled.  
  
Clawz, who was, of course, the one who threw it at him, chunked another one at him.  
  
Sonic dodged this attack. "Oh, now your gonna get it!"  
  
"Guys, cut it out." Sally scolded.  
  
Sonic turned and threw a snowball at her.  
  
"Hey!" She shouted.  
  
He grinned. "Sorry, my hand slipped." He said.  
  
She bent down and grabbed a handful of snow and threw at at him. It fell short.  
  
He laughed, "You throw like a girl!"  
  
"I am a girl!" Sally yelled.  
  
"Heh heh..." He said looking her up and down, "I've noticed."  
  
She threw another one at him. This time it hit him head on.   
  
She grinned. "Sorry, my hand slipped."  
  
They both ran off, playfully tossing balls of snow at each other.  
  
"Hey Clawz, let's make a snow man!" Tails said happily, tugging on the wildcat's arm.  
  
"Sure, Duce." Clawz said. He turned back to the others, "You guys wanna help?"  
  
"Sure. I haven't done this... Well, since I don't no how long!" Bunnie said.  
  
Antoine agreed too, and began helping Bunnie, as if she needed any, to roll a large snow  
ball for the base.  
  
"Whatta about you, Knux?" Clawz asked.  
  
Knuckles thought a moment. He looked over at Shelia, who was standing out in the very   
middle of the clearing, her head tilted up at the sky and her eyes closed, letting the flakes   
fall on her face. He looked back at Clawz.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, go get her Don Juan." Clawz said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Knuckles smiled, and walked over to where she was standing.  
  
She heard him approach and wiped the snow from her eyes, but streaks of water still  
ran down her face.  
  
"Shelia... Are you crying?" He asked softly.  
  
She looked back up at the sky sadly. "I haven't seen snow in so long..." She whispered.  
"This is only the second time in my life I've seen it actually. The first was when my... my  
family still lived in Mobotropolis... I was only five years old. My father had come home for the   
holidays, and he greeted us at the door with a bag full of presents... We opened them by the  
fire." Her voice teetered, but she continued on, "It... It was the day my brother Jem got his   
gun... What he always wanted..." She pulled the small handgun from the holster on her side,  
running her fingers over the hilt. She closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It was   
our last Christmas together..."  
  
Knuckles put his arm around her. She broke down and threw her arms around him, sobbing   
freely now. "It's okay..." He said softly, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"I wish I never remembered anything." She sobbed bitterly. "You were right, the past  
hurts too much..."  
  
"Don't say that." He said, "You would rather have forgotten all about that memory? It  
should be something that you cherish. I... I was wrong. You see, if I didn't remember my past,  
I would not remember any of the good times either."  
  
She sniffed. "... B-but they're all dead!" She wept. "Everyone I ever cared about is dead!"  
  
He lifted her chin up with his hand to look in her eyes. "Everyone...?" He asked softly.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment.   
  
She smiled weakly. "At least I have you, now." She said softly, hugging him.  
  
"Yeah, you do." He said, smiling too. "And I promise I won't leave you..."  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"Ready for the strike, soldier?" A dark crimson echidna with a mechanical red eye, said   
as he lounged in his huge throne-like chair.  
  
Lysander was rather startled. He turned nervously to his master. "Er... Yes sir, Master  
Kragok." He stammered, saluting.  
  
"We attack in exactly two minutes," Kragok said, sitting up straight, "So you better  
be... What are you doing in my chamber anyway?"  
  
Lysander thought frantically. "I was just... Retrieving my sister's things." He said.  
  
"You're sister?" Kragok asked suspiciously.  
  
"Julie-Su, Master. She was here earlier... I was getting some of her possessions she  
left here." The dark purple echidna explained.  
  
Kragok's eyebrows raised. "Julie-Su is your sister?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, Master."   
  
"Hmm." Kragok mumbled. "Well then, tell her to I wish to see her after the battle."  
  
Lysander hesitated. "... Yes, Master." He said, uncertainly. 'Was Julie-Su even going to  
be here after the battle?' He thought, unhappily.  
  
Kragok watched him leave. 'There was something strange about that soldier,' He thought.  
'It felt like he was hiding something... Oh well, I have more important things to think about  
now. Taking over the Floating Island was going to be sweet blood...'  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"Should I throw a snow ball at them?" Clawz snickered.  
  
"Don't you dare!" Bunnie scolded, snatching it out of his hand.   
  
They were watching the oblivious Shelia and Knuckles standing in the center of the  
Knothole courtyard with their arms around each other.  
  
Sally sighed, shaking her head. 'Knuckles shouldn't make promises he can't keep.' She   
thought sadly, remembering Knuckles' promise to Shelia that he would never leave her.  
  
Sonic put a hand on her shoulder.   
  
She looked over at him. 'People make blind promises when they're in love...'  
  
Suddenly a shot rang through the air.  
  
Shelia screamed.  
  
Everyone turned to see her fall from Knuckles arms.  
  
"Shelia!" He yelled.  
  
Evil laughter echoed through the clearing. "Sorry to break up this sickenly sweet scene,  
but I just had to... Drop in." With that, Mecha Sonic fell from above the canopy and into  
the clearing. He grinned wickedly, his laser cannon on his arm smoking from the fresh shot.  
  
"You killed her!" Sonic yelled.  
  
"Indeed." Mecha hissed. "You have an annoying habit of stating the obvious, brother."  
  
Knuckles cradled Shelia's limp body, searching her face for signs of life. She lay   
unmoving and silent. He crumpled over her, feeling an overwhelming sorrow. "No... No, not her..."  
He whimpered.  
  
"Pity isn't it?" Mecha said, staring unmoved at the echidna on the ground. "She would   
have made a wonderful robot companion for me."  
  
Knuckles turned to him, a raging inferno in his eyes. "You bastard..." He growled.  
He readied to strike with full force, but a hand on his cheek stopped him. He turned down to  
look at the girl he thought was dead.  
  
Shelia looked up at him, alive and well.   
  
He was shocked at first, then overjoyed. "You're alive!" He yelled happily.  
  
"What?!" Mecha hissed in anger, his eyes flashing menacingly.  
  
"B-but how...?" Knuckles asked shakily.  
  
She held up her necklace. If you looked hard enough at it, you could see the dent where  
the laser shot had ricocheted off of it, simply stunning her and nothing else. "My lucky charm."  
She said smiling.  
  
"Well, you won't be that lucky this time!" Mecha growled, aiming his blaster at them  
again. "I'll be taking that 'charm' of yours."  
  
But before the robot could fire, Sonic rushed him from the side, throwing him into  
the trunk of a tree.  
  
"Hurry! Everyone run! Get outta here!" Sonic yelled, as he detained Mecha momentarily.  
  
The others rushed off behind the main hall.  
  
"How the hell did that hunk o' junk find us here?!" Clawz asked.  
  
"I don't know..." Sally said.   
  
"Zis ess ze end of Knothole!" Antoine sobbed.  
  
"What are we gonna do Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked desperately.  
  
"We defeated him before, we can do it again." Knuckles said.  
  
Shelia, at his side, nodded.  
  
"Well we better do something, and quick!" Tails observed, "Even Sonic can't take on  
this guy by himself!"  
  
Indeed the young fox was right. Mecha Sonic was running the original ragged. Whatever  
move Sonic would perform, Mecha would do it just as good and twice as fast. Robotnik had never  
created a finer tuned robot. But it had to have a weakness...  
  
"The amethyst." Shelia said softly.  
  
"What?" Sally asked confused.  
  
"The only reason Mecha is so powerful, the reason he survived our encounter last time,   
is because he runs on limitless power." She strained to explain.  
  
"Say what?" Clawz asked, "Now you're just talkin' crazy talk."  
  
"No, we should listen to her." Sally defended.  
  
Shelia was rather surprised at the princess' support.  
  
"What about an amethyst?" Sally asked.  
  
"The Hate Amethyst." Shelia said. "It was the sacred stone that Robotnik forced me to  
give him in return for my family's 'safety'. It was what allowed Robotnik to create such a   
powerful monster."  
  
"So you're sayin' that the stone is what makes the 'bot tick?" Clawz said.  
  
She nodded. "If we can remove the stone from him somehow, or neutralize it's energy,  
he would be powerless."  
  
"But how are we going to do that?" Knuckles asked.  
  
Shelia thought a moment. She slowly picked up the locket from her neck, examining it   
carefully. "I know a way." She said solemnly.  
  
Sonic breathed heavily. He felt faint, but continued dodging and attacking. His robotic  
twin mirrored his every movement with the utmost accuracy, and wasn't even winded.   
  
"You give up yet, hedgehog?" Mecha Sonic asked.  
  
"N-never!" Sonic managed to choke out.   
  
"Fine." Mecha said rather contently. "Continued to exhaust yourself. It won't be long  
before the troops arrive."  
  
Sonic slumped. "T-troops?" He asked breathlessly.  
  
"Hundreds of Combots following the signal from the tracking device I implanted on  
your hover-craft way back in the desert." He said, almost laughing. "You'll all be dead in a   
matter of minutes."  
  
Sonic felt his anger rise, but his strength was waning. He couldn't let Knothole be  
taken over now... Not after all the Freedom Fighters had gone through to get this far...  
  
"Hey Mecha Sonic!"   
  
Mecha turned to the voice.   
  
"You want this?" Shelia said, as she stood in the center of the courtyard, holding  
her necklace in the air above her head. "Come and get it!"  
  
Sonic took the opportunity at Mecha's distraction, and spun into him with what strength  
he had left. The robot tumbled forward into the snow, ramming into another tree. His chest-plate  
was bent open slightly, exposing the raw black crystal inside.  
  
'Now's my chance.' Shelia thought. 'I sure hope this works.'   
  
  
She opened the locket for the first time in five hundred years then. For a moment she   
was blinded in the bright red light that poured out of it, up into the sky. The power of the   
sacred ruby inside was much more than she expected. She could barely control it.   
  
Mecha Sonic stood up, shaken by the hedgehog's blow, but only more angered. The black   
electricity from the amethyst encircled him. He turned back to the Shelia, who was staggering  
to control her own power. He grinned evilly, and zoomed towards her at an incredible speed.  
  
Faster than darkness...  
  
But not faster than light.  
  
Shelia opened her eyes to find Mecha Sonic in pieces in front of her. She had been  
able to direct the ruby's power just in time, but how...? She looked at her arms outstretched  
in front of her, and realized another pair of hands were over hers. She looked behind her to  
find Knuckles there, arms around her. She smiled weakly. He had helped her...  
  
"Woo hoo!" Clawz yelled emerging from behind the building with the others. "What a  
blast! I love the special effects!"  
  
Sally rushed to Sonic's side, who had fallen after his last attack. After he had staggered  
back to his feet, she embraced him happily.   
  
"You were so brave..." She said.  
  
"Hey, a guy's gotta do what he's gotta do." He mumbled weakly.  
  
"You've really earned this today..." She said, and kissed him passionately.  
  
A rather surprised Sonic stumbled backwards and fell in the snow, with her still   
in his arms.   
  
In the middle of the wreckage that once was Mecha Sonic lay the sparking black crystal  
that had created him. Shelia walked slowly up to it, stepping over the shattered metal. Still  
about a yard away from the stone, she stopped and turned her locket over in her hands. She  
opened the back compartment. In less time than you could blink an eye, the amethyst was sucked  
back into the necklace. Shelia closed the clasp with satisfaction. She had finally done her  
mother proud...   
  
Her duty as keeper of the sacred stone was done.  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
"I hope Knuckles doesn't mind us crashin' in his place 'till the rain lets up." Vector  
said, putting his feet on the table as he leaned back on the couch.  
  
Espio frowned, noticing Vector's muddy shoes on the table. "Keep your feet off the   
furniture! You want Knuckles to smash us when he gets back?"   
  
The crocodile obeyed reluctantly.  
  
"I hope Knuckles comes back soon." Charmy sighed.  
  
"Hey guys..." A muffled voice called from the closet. "When are you gonna let me outta  
here? I swear I learned my lesson!"  
  
"Not yet, Mighty." Espio answered. "You've only been in there for five minutes!"  
  
"But I'm closetrophobic!" He whined.  
  
"That's claustrophobic," Espio corrected, "And you are not. You're an armadillo. You  
live in an small enclosed space."  
  
"Oh yeah..." Mighty mumbled.  
  
Suddenly a small blast of smoke exploded on the table beside Charmy, who fell off in  
fright. The smoke cleared and a red fire-ant wearing a green vest appeared.  
  
"Hello Chaotix." He said.  
  
"Hi, Archimedes." Charmy stuttered, climbing back onto the table.  
  
"What's up, Archy?" Vector asked.  
  
"Nothing, actually. I'm afraid it's rather boring around here with Knuckles gone." The  
ant answered soberly.  
  
"When do you think he'll be back?" Espio asked.  
  
"He had some research to do, but he knows he has a responsibility here," Archimedes  
said. "So he should return soon... I hope."  
  
"I hope he didn't forget about us." Charmy said.  
  
"I don't think Knuckles could forget you bunch even if he wanted too..." Archimedes  
said looking around at them. "Hey... Aren't there usually four of you?" He asked, confused.  
  
"I'm over here." Mighty's muffled voice called from the closet.  
  
Archimedes jumped. "What the...? Where...?" He said looking around nervously.  
  
"Might's in da closet." Vector said.  
  
"Why in the world is Mighty in the closet?!"  
  
"We put him there." Vector said simply.  
  
Archimedes was very perplexed at this moment. "Never mind, I don't even want to know."  
He sighed.   
  
"Can I come out yet?" Mighty asked.  
  
Espio sighed. "Fine, fine..." He said, slowly unlocking the door and releasing the  
big red and yellow armadillo.  
  
"Hey guys, the rain is starting to clear." Mighty observed as he looked out the window.  
  
Vector and Charmy went over to the window to see for themselves.  
  
"Yeah, you're right." Espio said.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Charmy said pointing at the far away horizon, where the clouds  
had begun to clear.  
  
They all squinted to see what he was talking about. In the distance, you could just barely  
see a oblong black craft heading strait for the island.  
  
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good..." Espio said, growing fearful.  
  
"Let me see!" Archimedes said, crawling onto the window sill. He took a pair of tiny  
binoculars from his vest pocket and looked out the window. "Oh no..."  
  
"What? What is it?" Espio asked frantically.  
  
"It... It looks like a Dark Legion Warship..." Archimedes said slowly.  
  
"Oh, crap." Mighty said softly.  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
Chapter fourteen : "Decisions, Decisions"  
  
  
  
  
"You did it Shelia!" Knuckles said happily.  
  
She smiled. "Not without a little help..."  
  
"But if it wasn't for your idea, we'd all be toast by now." He said.  
  
All she could do was smile.  
  
"Wait you guys, this thing isn't over yet..." Sonic said.  
  
"What do you mean Sonic?" Sally asked.  
  
He turned to her and took her hand. "Mecha said that he put a tracking device on the  
hover-craft we flew to the desert." Sonic said soberly, "That's how he found us here. He also  
said that an army of Robotnik's ComBots are on the way, following that signal..."  
  
"Oh no!" Sally said, "We've got to get rid of that tracking device before the robots  
find Knothole!"  
  
"Don't worry Sal, I'm already on it." Rotor said, running out of his workshop with  
something in his hand. He held it out to them. "This is the tracking device I found on the  
hover-unit." He said.  
  
"Well, quick! Let's smash it then!" Knuckles suggested.  
  
"No!" Rotor said, "If we do that, the robots will just keep heading for the last   
coordinate they were given. We have to get it as far away from Knothole as we can, and fast!"  
  
"Leave that to me." Sonic said, snatching from his hand. "I'll be there and back before  
you even know I'm gone."  
  
"Be careful Sonic!" Sally yelled, as he zoomed off and away from Knothole at mach 3.  
  
"I sure hope he's not to late..." Shelia said.  
  
"Yeah... If a whole army of robots like Mecha-Sonic showed up..." Tails mumbled.  
  
"We'd be how you zay, dead meets." Antoine finished.  
  
"Don't worry y'all..." Bunnie reassured. "I'm sure ol' Sugah-hog will get the job done."  
  
"I hope you're right." Shelia said softly leaning on Knuckles shoulder. He put his  
arm around her.  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
"Man, oh man!" Vector said hysterically. "Whatta we gonna do?!"  
  
"The Dark Legion is attacking the Floating Island while the guardian's away." Espio  
said, trying to stay calm and reason. "What a predicament."  
  
"Well, we better hurry and do SOMETHING!" Mighty yelled, "They're getting closer!"  
  
"Archimedes, what should we do?" Charmy asked fearfully.  
  
The ant looked a bit scared himself, but tried to take charge. "You three," He said  
pointing to Mighty, Vector, and Charmy, "Go to the edge of the island and try and hold them  
off."   
  
"Right." They all said in usion.  
  
"And what about me?" Espio asked.  
  
"We've got to send a distress message to Knuckles down in Knothole and get him back up  
here, pronto!" Archimedes said. "Can you get a message there through your computer?"  
  
"I think so. Knuckles used it before to contact Princess Sally. I think I can still  
establish the link, even though we are farther away now..." Espio said.  
  
"Fine. Get to work all of you!" The ant ordered.  
  
They all rushed off in their different directions.  
  
Archimedes was left alone on the window sill, watching their impending doom approach.  
The rain had stopped, but the storm had only just begun.  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
  
Sally was startled by a sudden beeping coming from Nicole, her handheld computer that  
was attached to her boot.  
  
"What's up L.P.?" Clawz asked, as she bent down and opened it.  
  
"Another message." Sally said curiously.  
  
"From who?" Shelia asked.  
  
Sally scanned the screen. "The signal's source is from... The Floating Island." She said   
slowly. She looked up at Knuckles.  
  
He looked more surprised than anyone.  
  
Sally pushed a button, and a hologram burst out of the computer's back compartment  
and was cast onto the snow.  
  
A rather stressed looking purple chameleon appeared.  
  
"...Espio?" Knuckles asked softly.  
  
"Oh Knuckles, thank God I reached you." He said frantically.  
  
"Why? What's wrong?" Knuckles asked, feeling tense.  
  
"Oh it's horrible..." The chameleon stuttered, "We're under attack! Any time now they're  
going to--"  
  
"Attack? By who?" Knuckles interrupted.  
  
"The Dark Legion." Espio said, "A warship. There must be hundreds of them... We need  
you back here, and fast!"  
  
Knuckles sneered. "Don't worry, I'm on my way." He said sternly.  
  
The hologram flickered, then went dead, as Nicole lost the signal.  
  
Without so much as a word to anyone, Knuckles dashed off into the woods. He didn't stop   
until he reached a cliff overhanging the sea. He looked up into the clouds. He could see the  
Floating Island in the distance. He was about to jump and begin his flight, when a voice  
stopped him dead in his tracks.  
  
"Knuckles wait!" Shelia called.  
  
He turned around to see her running towards him.  
  
"Aren't you even going to say goodbye?" She asked.  
  
He was silent a moment. "Oh... I-I'm sorry..." He said softly. "Goodbye..."  
  
She smiled and hugged him. He returned the gesture hesitantly.  
  
"... So when are you coming back?" She asked, still hugging him.  
  
Knuckles felt a sudden dread wash over him. "... I don't know..." He said softly.  
  
She looked up at him. "Well you don't have to say exactly. Just guess." She said, still  
smiling. "A few hours, a few days?"  
  
Knuckles was frowning. He said nothing.  
  
Shelia felt confused. "What's the matter?" She asked, feeling the same sudden dread.  
"You... You are coming back aren't you?"  
  
Knuckles turned away.   
  
Shelia felt tears well in her eyes. "B-but you have to..."  
  
"I... I'm sorry, Shelia..." He said softly, still facing away from her.  
  
"No!" She said, grabbing his hand. "You... You can't just leave now... I... We just..."  
  
He shook his head. "I have to go... Maybe when the island comes back this way next year..."  
  
"Next year!" She yelled.   
  
"I've spent way too much time down here... My duty lies on the Floating Island..." He  
said gently.  
  
"But... What about... Us...?" She said, softly. "You're the only one I have left... You  
promised..."  
  
His heart ached. He looked back at her.  
  
A tear rolled slowly down her cheek.  
  
He closed his eyes and cast his head down. Looking at her was making this even harder.  
"I have to go..." He said.  
  
"Why?" She asked, gripping his hand tighter.  
  
"It's my duty." He said stiffly, "If I don't go back... "  
  
"I know... But..." She stammered, "I..."  
  
"I'm so sorry..." Knuckles said.  
  
She was silent.  
  
"I've got to hurry..." He said.  
  
"Fine." She said, turning around. "Go ahead and leave. Leave me all alone again..."  
  
"Shelia, please don't do this!" He said, "It's hard enough as it is!"  
  
"What was I?" She sobbed, "Some kind of fling? I thought that maybe... Maybe you really  
cared..."  
  
"Shelia, I do... I do care about you... A lot..." He said, putting his hands on her   
shoulders from the back.  
  
"Then why are you breaking your promise?"  
  
"Because I have to!" He said sternly, "Would you rather I stay here, and let all those  
on the Floating Island who are counting on me just die?"  
  
She was silent. She turned around and looked at him with those emerald eyes. Tears  
streaked down her face. "... Will I ever see you again?" She asked quietly.  
  
He sighed sadly. "... I sure hope so."  
  
"B-before you go..." She whispered gently, "I want you to have something..."   
  
He stared at her in awe as she gently lifted her necklace from around her neck and  
up over her head, then placed it delicately in his hand.  
  
"Oh Shelia... I... I can't take this..." He said, pushing it back towards her.  
  
"Yes you can." She said. "The sacred stones are yours now."  
  
"But..."  
  
"My job as a keeper is done." She said quietly, "It's time for you to take over, guardian."  
  
He was stunned. "You mean... You knew all this time?" He asked.  
  
"Of course I did." She said, smiling weakly. "I know the words of the scrolls... I can  
recognize a guardian when I see one... Besides, the mark kind of gave you away."  
  
He looked down at his chest, and the white collar marking across it. He looked back  
up her with confusion. "But... Why didn't you ever say anything?"  
  
She sighed. "It was fun living in a lie wasn't it...?"  
  
He felt his heart sink. He reached out for her.   
  
But she was reaching in her pocket for something else. She pulled out a small bundle  
of papers. She handed it to him.  
  
"What's this?" He asked.  
  
"The lost scrolls. I don't need them any longer..." She said.  
  
He stared at her with a mixture of such strong emotions.   
  
"You can go now." She said, almost bitterly. She turned, as if to walk away, but didn't  
take a single step.   
  
He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. She looked down,  
crying softly. He stroked her head affectionately, then leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.  
  
And when she opened her eyes, he was gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
To be continued...  
  
  
  
::sighs::   
  
Three down, one to go!  
  
::brings out the tissue boxes:: What a sad ending!   
  
What's next? Will Sonic be able to get rid of the tracking device before it's  
too late? Knuckles is on his way back to the Floating Island, but will he  
have the strength to fight of the entire Dark Legion? Will he and Shelia  
see each other ever again? Will the mysterious Julie-Su get her freedom?  
Will I stop asking these annoying plot questions once again? Well, I guess   
you're gonna have to wait until the next part of the Love and Hate series   
comes out!   
  
Let's hope it's soon!  
  
  
=^.^=  
  
~Erin Lindsey  
diamondneko@mail.com  
http://www.FurNation.com/clearwaters  
  
Please visit my Sonic and furry art site at FurNation!   
  
yay yay yay  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Legalities: Okay. ready, set go!!!  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, the Freedom   
fighters, the Chaotix, Dr. Robotnik, and any related   
characters are licensed characters of SEGA and Co.   
and/or DIC and Archie Adventure series Comics. Clawz the   
Wildcat and Shelia ClearWaters were created by Erin   
Lindsey. If you want any of my stories on your site,   
want to use any of my characters, you must have written   
consent of my authorization, beforehand.  
  
Send any questions, comments, or complications to:   
diamondneko@mail.com  
  



	4. Darkest Before the Dawn

"Darkest Before the Dawn"  
Love and Hate Part 4 of 4!  
A Sonic/Knuckles fan-fiction story by:  
Erin Lindsey  
  
  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, a bit of profanity, and slight sexual references.  
  
  
----------------  
  
Hello again everyone. Thanks for coming back to read the final part of my Love and   
Hate series, my second Sonic fan-fiction series! Hope you enjoy this part. After this, me   
and Orona Red are co-writing a story, then I'll begin my third series, Hope and Despair.   
I'm also contemplating a story about echidna history... But now, lets get on with it.  
  
Lastish -  
Mecha Sonic attacked Knothole using a tracking device that will soon lead hordes of   
ComBots into the Freedom Fighters secret hideout, but Sonic took the device and a zoomed   
off somewhere trying to drive the bots of track. Meanwhile the Dark Legion attacks the   
Floating Island, and while Knuckles is down below! When the Chaotix calls him back, he   
had to decide between duty and the beautiful Shelia ClearWaters... And he chose duty!   
Is this the biggest mistake of his life, or the best decision? And what of the mysterious   
new gems (the Love Ruby and the Hate Amethyst) Knux has acquired?  
  
Read on, and find out what happens next in this exciting conclusion!  
  
(Sorry this part is mega-late, writers block and four web-pages to maintain don't mix well...)  
  
Hope you enjoy!  
  
~eRiN LiNdSeY  
diamondneko@mail.com  
http://www.furnation.com/clearwaters  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter fifteen: "Far Away"  
  
  
  
  
The air was hot and dry in the burning desert of Mobius. This area was called the Great   
Unknown, the arid western region that lay between the mechanical city of Robotropolis and the   
small green forest where the remaining citizens of Mobotropolis took refuge. No drinkable water   
for miles around, and the horizon seemed to melt, as the heat played tricks on a wanderer's eyes.  
  
The sand clung to the sweat on the young blue hedgehog's brow as he ran. He was now   
miles from Knothole, with the tracer in hand, an army of ComBots hot on his heels, and they   
weren't giving up. He breathed heavily. He had to get them as far away from the Great Forest as   
possible. If the evil overlord Robotnik ever found out the location of their rebel base, they   
would be finished. And he wasn't about to let that happen, not after all the time they had   
spent fighting to get even a little bit ahead in this Great War. But the sun was beating down   
on him, and he couldn't take it much longer.  
  
Man, he wished he had thought to bring a container of water.  
  
He thought of Sally then, and what she would say.  
  
'Look before you leap, Sonic...'  
  
He smiled slightly at the thought of her. She gave him a whole new strength.  
  
Suddenly he came upon a huge crevice, arching down into a deep craggy canyon. He   
screeched to a halt, practically falling down over the edge. He caught himself quickly, then  
turned to watch the robotic army continued their approach. He thought fast. At first he began  
to panic, but then a plan formed in his mind and a sly smile spread across his face. He looked  
at the small device in his hand for a moment, then tossed it gently into the fault.  
  
He then took a few steps backward, and digging his heels into the dry cracked earth,  
sprinted towards the canyon, and in a single graceful leap, jumped over to the other side and  
hid behind a large boulder. He heard the robots approach.  
  
The army stopped at the canyon, examining it, then following the signal climbed down the  
loose rock walls into the narrow valley. They searched the vicinity for a few minutes.  
  
"ComBot 47346 calling Master Robotnik." A mechanical voice called over the communicator.  
  
Robotnik rushed to his computer console. "Yes, yes ComBot! What have you to report? Have  
you destroyed the Freedom Fighters yet?" He asked anxiously.  
  
The robot was silent.  
  
"WELL?!" Robotnik roared.  
  
"Well, you see sir, we converged on the homing device signal as you ordered..."  
  
"AND?" Robotnik growled impatiently.  
  
"And there is nothing here, sir." The robot answered slowly.  
  
"What?" Robotnik hissed, "What do you mean nothing is there? Where is Mecha Sonic?"  
  
"We are in an empty canyon in the middle of the desert, sir. Coordinate N1234 W3625.   
And... Commander Mecha's signal is not being picked up. He is not here." The ComBot reported.  
  
"Well keep searching you idiot! Knothole must be there! It's probably hidden!" The obese  
human ordered over the hologram communicator.  
  
"Yes, Master Robotnik, the troops will--"  
  
Suddenly the ComBot's conversation was cut short as Sonic pushed the big boulder off the  
edge and into the canyon, smashing the bot in the middle of it's sentence.  
  
"What the...?!" Robotnik yelled in surprise as his screen filled with static. "Eye-view  
monitors on all ComBot's on now!" He roared angrily.  
  
Snivley at the control panel, who had been half-asleep, shot up and began typing   
furiously on his uncle's command. In a few seconds, dozens of screens filled with images   
shot from small camera's inside the visual cavities of the army of ComBots. Robotnik could   
see whatever his robots saw, and right now he was seeing red, or should I say, blue.  
  
Sonic was looking over the edge of the crack looking down at the robots contentedly.   
Knowing Robotnik must be watching, he promptly stuck up his middle finger at him.  
  
"The hedgehog!" Robotnik snarled. "Attack him you idiots!" He yelled into the other bots  
communicators.  
  
The robots followed orders and aimed their arm-cannons at Sonic.  
  
He just smiled.  
  
The whole army shot at once, and Sonic jumped back to the other side, dodging the single  
powerful attack easily. The sound of the shot echoed though out the sharp walls of the canyon,  
causing the rocks to slide and collapse onto the robots below.  
  
Sonic snickered with satisfaction, then raced off back towards the Great Forest.  
  
"I hate that hedgehog..." Robotnik grumbled bitterly as his screens went black.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****   
  
  
  
  
  
Shelia ran through the courtyard, tears running down her face, her eyes closed. In her  
blind haste, she ran straight into Princess Sally.  
  
"Hey, watch it!" Sally yelled, but then felt guilty for scolding her as she saw the  
tears in the red vixen's eyes. "Oh, Shelia... Are you all right?"  
  
Shelia just cast her eyes down to the snow and shook her head.  
  
"Wh... What happened?" Sally asked, unsteadily.  
  
Shelia sniffled, wiping her eyes. "He's gone..." She whimpered.  
  
Sally sighed softly. "Knuckles you mean?" She asked.  
  
Shelia nodded sadly. She choked and began to cry again.  
  
Sally put a comforting arm on her shoulder and helped her up. "I suspected as much. Here,  
lets get you inside..."  
  
They walked across the courtyard and into the main building that served as a meeting hall.  
Shelia stumbled up the stairs, and slumped into a chair at the bar. Sally sat beside her.  
  
They both said nothing for a few minutes. Shelia cried, and Sally watched her, trying  
to provide what comfort she could.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked finally.  
  
Shelia shook her head.  
  
"Are you sure? It might make you feel better..."   
  
"Oh, God... I don't know... He..." She stuttered, rubbing her eyes. "It's just that  
he said, and... I thought..."  
  
"Hey, calm down. It's all right..." Sally reassured.  
  
Shelia snorted indignantly. "Yeah, sure. You can say that... You have your friends and  
loved ones... I don't have anyone, or anything anymore!" She sobbed.  
  
Sally suddenly grew angry, "Oh, don't give me that!" She said sternly, "I lost my family  
too, and others that I have loved! Everyday I lose someone! I am leading a war, you know!"  
  
Shelia looked up at her in surprise. "I-I'm sorry..." She whimpered.  
  
Sally didn't let up. "Look, everyone here has lost someone, we told you our stories   
before, but we have moved on..."  
  
"But everything was just ripped away... First my father, then my freedom, then the  
rest of my family, my home, and now... The only boy I ever..." She said softly, the last word  
just a whisper, "Loved..."  
  
Sally stared at her in awe for a moment. She cooled down a bit as she thought what it  
would be like to loose Sonic, but still tried to be firm with her. "Come on Shelia... You don't   
need him." She said, "You could have any other guy you wanted... Just look at you, I mean--"  
  
"But I don't want anybody else!" She cried pounding her fist on the table, "You don't   
understand what it's like to be me! The way everyone sees and treats me! The way they all   
stare... But not him. He treated me like an equal... When he talked to me, he looked into my   
eyes, not down my shirt... It felt so good to think he wanted to know me for who I was... He   
made me feel so happy, even after all that has happened to me... But now... I have nothing..."  
  
"Well why don't you go to the Floating Island?" Sally asked, "And be with him?"  
  
"I... I can't. I'd just be in the way up there... I'd have no purpose. I want to  
fight, against Robotnik. Get revenge on the one who took my life away from me..."  
  
Sally was silent.  
  
Shelia looked up at her again. "What I would give to be like you Princess..."  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
  
Knuckles fell to his knees as the landed back on the edge of the Floating Island. He  
put his hands down on the ground in front of him to steady himself. He sat there for a minute,  
breathing heavily. He looked down at the objects in his right hand : a shining golden locket,  
and a small bundle of brown papers. He stuffed the papers into his glove angrily as he stood up.  
He stared at the locket, trying to be angry at her.   
  
Why had she made leaving so hard?... But he just couldn't blame this on her. It wasn't   
her fault... But it wasn't his fault either. What was he supposed to do? Abandon his family's  
dynasty and let down the Chaotix and the others living on the Floating Island? But still, he  
had made her cry... And for a second, it seemed tempting. To throw all his responsibilities into  
the wind and begin a new life, with her at his side. But no, he had betrayed her when he  
was all that she had... He felt sick.  
  
He closed his fist around the necklace. But then a new emotion filled him. A burning   
hatred for the ones who's fault their parting truly was...  
  
Without warning, a dark electric light encompassed his fist.  
  
He dropped the locket in shock.  
  
It sparked, then settled, smoking in the grass.  
  
"What in the world...?" He said, picking it up again. He noticed a caliginous lavender  
light coming through the casing of the backside of the small innocent looking charm. Slowly  
he turned it over and opened it...  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Chapter sixteen: "Darkness and Dreams"   
  
  
  
  
Suddenly the Chaotix team found themselves completely surrounded by heavily armed black   
cloaked figures. The Dark Legion had reached the island, and Mighty Armadillo, Vector Crocodile,   
and Charmy Bee, were there trying to defend their home. They soon realized they were thoroughly  
outnumbered.  
  
"Oh man, oh man..." Vector mumbled.  
  
"There's too many of them!" Charmy winced.  
  
Mighty boldly stepped up, shaking his fist at the crowd as they closed in on them.  
"Hey, whatever happened to fighting fair?" He asked, "One on one, skins versus skins?"  
  
A legionnaire pointed a gun in his face.  
  
"Oh yeah, those rules died along with you guy's morals, eh?" Mighty sneered.  
  
"We won't kill you if you surrender now." The one pointing the gun at Mighty said, "Do  
you give up?"  
  
"Umm..." Vector mused.  
  
"No, never!" Mighty said bravely.  
  
"Fine, have it your way." He answered dryly, as he cocked his gun. But as he aimed,   
suddenly the gun was snatched from his hands and turned to point at him.  
  
"What the--?!" The echidna yelped, jumping backwards in surprised.  
  
Espio materialized in front of him, pointing the gun straight at him.  
  
The rest of the Chaotix cheered.  
  
"The tables have turned it seems..." The chameleon muttered.  
  
Taking advantage of the moment of astonishment, Mighty plowed his way through the  
crowd of dark echidnas. Vector and Charmy followed suit, taking down half the group. But  
still there were many. Over a hundred back figures, all attacking the four of them. They  
wouldn't last long, but they kept trying, endlessly fighting on.   
  
Mighty cracked a soldier in the face with the butt of a gun. "One down, three hundred  
and seventy four to go..." He said the boldness fading in his voice.  
  
Vector socked another in the stomach. "Make that three hundred and seventy three..."  
  
Charmy was having a bit harder time than the others, considering his combatants were  
ten times his size. But soon he found this to actually be an advantage. He would dart through   
the crowd, easily dodging attacks because of his size. Sometimes the legionnaires would shoot at   
him, then miss, hitting one of his own on accident.  
  
But still there were too many of them. A dozen tackled Mighty at one time, just barely  
overpowering his strength. A lucky shot hit Charmy in the wing, and when Vector bent down to   
help his friend, he was shot in the leg. Even stealthy Espio was caught when someone seized   
him from behind. The army converged on the wounded four, slowly, as if you draw out their pain   
and suffering.  
  
But all of a suddenly, a savage cry of animosity filled the air.   
  
All heads turned just in time to see a streak of red, slice though the multitude, taking  
down one after another of the Dark army. In one second, it had floored at least twenty. Blood  
spattered as his blade like claws ripped though flesh, bones cracked, and screams of pain rose  
from the crowd.   
  
The Chaotix watched in awe as the bloodthirsty warrior took out the entire regiment in  
a matter of minutes. Charmy hid his eyes from the violent scene, Espio looked like he was  
going to be sick, Vector was rather confused, and Mighty cheered on the mysterious mercenary.  
  
And as quickly as it has begun, it was over. A horde of legionaries lay torpid on the  
ground, while others retreated back to their ship in fear, as yet another ran off into the  
forest. And in the middle of the carnage stood a familiar figure, draped in blood, but none  
of it his own.  
  
"Knuckles?" Mighty gasped.  
  
He turned to the group, a dark light of pure hate in his eyes. But that, too soon faded.  
He felt all the energy of the amethyst leave him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed on the  
ground unconscious.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
  
Sally sat in her room, staring out her window as she thought. It had stopped snowing and  
the white dunes were begging to melt in the soft sunlight. So many things raced through her mind.   
She hoped Sonic was all right. He had been gone for a while now, and she was beginning to worry.   
How far had he gone? Probably all the way into the desert, knowing him. Even in the winter, it  
was incredibly hot there. Mostly because of all the pollution from the nearby Robotropolis. She  
had been rather surprised for it to snow in Knothole this year.   
  
But the weather wasn't what she was contemplating so hard about. She kept on thinking   
about Shelia, and what she had said. She really seemed to care about Knuckles. She was a  
beautiful girl, yet she wished to be like her? Sally had always considered herself a rather   
attractive young woman, but also she had always been self conscious of her figure. She was   
rather skinny, especially her arms, and she wasn't exactly big busted... Not like Shelia   
anyways. But the boys had always managed to notice her, so she supposed herself to have   
some sex appeal.   
  
But when it came to deepness and feelings, she was a little flat. She would always put   
work before pleasure and hide her sensitivity . She was an intelligent girl, book smart and had   
a mind of her own. But she very seldom cried, or showed true emotion like Shelia did. Sally   
wished she hadn't been so hard on her. For god's sake, the girl's entire family had just been   
killed, then she finds someone who she thought she could count on, and he abandons her. Sally   
truly felt sorry for the innocent fox-squirrel. Somehow she was going to make it up to her.  
  
'What I would give to be like you Princess...'  
  
Shelia had said that with such sincerity. It was ironic, how Sally had wished to be  
like Shelia, only to find that Shelia wished to be like her. Sally laughed at herself softly.  
She guessed everyone whishes to be something else, never satisfied with what they are. But  
still she felt guilty. She remembered how horrible she had felt when Julyla died... And now that  
her father was trapped in the void...  
  
She shook off the tugging sadness.   
  
'Sonic had better come back soon.' She thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
  
He looked up at the sky. The beautiful blue sky. The wind was blowing softly.  
He looked down into water far below, feeling no fear at all. The glow from the sun   
bathed him in it's warm luminescence. All the hatred was gone, but sorrow still filled  
his heart.   
  
"So finally it is time." A soft voice said.  
  
He turned around to see a beautiful young red echidna standing there, smiling at him.  
She had blue eyes, and long quills that fell all the way to her tail. She was wearing nothing,  
but it seemed so natural. But what surprised him the most was the white crescent marking across  
her chest.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked in awe.   
  
"My name is Arora-Sa." She said.   
  
"Are... Are you a..." He began pointing at the mark.  
  
"A guardian like you?" She finished.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Yes I am, or should I say, yes I was..." She answered.  
  
He frowned, "What do you mean?"  
  
"I was a guardian when I was still alive."   
  
It took a moment for her statement to sink in. "Are you saying your... Your a..."  
  
"Ghost?" She completed  
  
He gulped.  
  
She laughed at his reaction. "But don't worry, I mean you know harm."  
  
"But... But why are you here?" He asked hesitantly.  
  
She walked closer to him, touching him softly on the arm. "I come to tell you of your  
destiny..."  
  
"My... Destiny...?"  
  
"Yes." She said, "What do you think is your destiny?"   
  
Knuckles shrugged. "I dunno."  
  
"You seem indifferent to your future." She said, rather sternly.  
  
"It's just that..." He trailed off.  
  
"Just that what?" The girl echoed, wanting a conclusion.  
  
Knuckles sighed again. "Well, it just seems so pointless."   
  
She waited for him to continued, but he didn't. He was being rather inconclusive.   
"What does?" She asked finally.   
  
"Being guardian I mean." Knuckles said.  
  
She was shocked. "WHAT?" She asked frantically, "Of course it  
has a point! What all have you been taught?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah I know." Knuckles sighed, "But it's like..." He strained for words,   
"Like I'm not really significant in the whole scheme of things. Sure, I'm important   
now, but... After I die, I'll just be forgotten." He snapped his fingers, "Just like that,   
and a new guardian will take my place. Just like my father before me, and his father,   
and so on..."  
  
She was even more surprised. "Well, that's what being a guardian is about, sort of."   
She said, "Everyone lives and dies, but guardians serve a purpose: To guard the Floating   
Island, and the jewels. It's an ever changing circle, and you might just be a small piece,  
but you definitely are significant!"  
  
Knuckles didn't seem to be impacted at all. "I want to be more than   
just a piece of a circle. I want to be different, not just a clone of the  
one that came before me. No one remembers them, and no one will remember me."  
He said sternly, but still with that same sadness in his eyes. "Why keep on  
going when there is nothing worth going to? What makes it all worth it?"  
  
"I suppose you wanting to be more is a good thing." Arora said, trying not  
to smile, "But just sitting around here wasting time isn't going to accomplish anything.   
If you want to be something more, you have to make yourself something more."  
  
Knuckles turned to her slowly, frowning. "I don't know if I will ever be anything  
more..." He said soberly.  
  
She sighed. "You will... So much more..."  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
  
"First, let me tell you a story... Of one little insignificant who became a incredible  
hero..." She said gently, and began.  
  
"A thousand years ago, the world collapsed into chaos, but one, the first guardian,   
known as 'the creator of the crystals', protected the essence of good, and trapped the spirits   
of evil in eight sacred stones." She said softly, "The most infamous of these evil   
spirits was imprisoned in a green emerald..."  
  
"The Chaos Emerald?" Knuckles asked.  
  
Arora nodded.  
  
"Uh, so what does this 'creator of crystals' have anything to do with me, and my so  
called destiny?" He inquired.  
  
"You, Knuckles, are the reincarnation of the creator."   
  
He stared at her with bewilderment. "...What?"  
  
She smiled. "You are the one destined to once again bring together the eight stones,  
and keep the evil sealed, and the good protected." She said, "Just as I did... A thousand  
years ago."  
  
He was aghast. For a long time he was speechless, lost in thought, trying to sort out  
all that this mysterious girl had just said.   
  
"Confused?" She asked finally.  
  
"Very." He admitted.  
  
"So was I when the spirits first confronted me... You shall learn. I have great  
faith in you." She said kissing him gently on the forhead. "Learn. Read the scrolls, the   
story of the elements, and find the remaining four stones... Then all will be revealed."  
  
"Please, you must tell me more..." He begged.  
  
"It is not yet time. For now at least, I leave you to learn own your own..."  
  
"No wait, please!" He said.  
  
But before he could reach out and grab her, she had vanished.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
"Man... He don't look so good..." Vector mumbled.  
  
"Will he be okay?" Charmy asked hopefully.  
  
"I'm sure he'll recover fine... He's just exhausted..." Espio reassured.  
  
"He looks like he's in pain..." Charmy said, staring down at his bedridden friend.  
  
"Don't worry about him, Charms." Mighty said patting the young bee on the head. "Knux  
has recovered from worse than this..."  
  
Suddenly, Knuckles groaned, shifting in his bed as his the Chaotix watched over him.  
He lifted a hand to his face.  
  
"Knuckles?" Espio said quietly.  
  
The echidna jumped, sitting up quickly. "What the--" He yelped. He opened his eyes  
and stared at the group blankly. It took him a moment to focus, and realize where he was.  
He tilted his head in confusion. "Where'd she go?" He asked.  
  
"Who?" Mighty asked.  
  
Knuckles didn't answer just continued rambling on. "It must have been a dream..."  
  
"Are you all right?" Charmy asked.  
  
He looked at the bee. His right wing was wrapped in bandages. Vector was on crutches,  
Mighty had a black eye, and Espio had his share of cuts and bruises.  
  
"What happened to you guys?" He asked.  
  
The Chaotix looked at each other.  
  
"You mean you don't remember the fight?" Espio asked.  
  
"... Fight?" Knuckles said in puzzlement.  
  
"Yeah, against the Dark Legion." Might said.  
  
"Was... Was I there?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"There? You where the one who won it for us, man!" Vector said, "You kicked some  
major boo-tay."  
  
"Uh... So the Dark Legion is gone?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"For now." Espio said.   
  
"They're not going to be back for a while." Vector said. "You spooked 'em pretty good."  
  
"You were pretty scary out there, Knux." Charmy said.  
  
"It was cool! You were a lunatic!" Mighty said.  
  
"Huh?" Knuckles said.  
  
"It was almost like some thing possessed you." Espio said. "There was this weird dark  
glow to your eyes."  
  
Knuckles blinked. He remembered leaving Knothole... Saying good bye to Shelia...  
Landing back on the island and... Opening the locket. Then a force over took him. All   
he had seen was darkness for a long time, until the white light had broken it, and he had  
met the beautiful phantom...   
  
"Hello, Mobius to Knuckles." Mighty said, snapping his fingers in front of his  
friend's face.  
  
"Oh, sorry..." He said, reverting to normal. "I was just... Thinking..."  
  
"Well, you did get rid of the Dark Legion, and saved us." Charmy said. "So, even if  
you did go kinda crazy there for a bit, you helped us out."  
  
"Good..." He said, almost sadly. "You... You guys can leave now, if you want."  
  
"Are you okay?" Mighty asked.  
  
"I'm... I'm fine." He said turning away from them. "I just want to.. To sleep now..."  
  
"Okay then..." Espio said hesitantly.  
  
"Bye, Knux." Vector and Mighty said simultaneously.  
  
They all left slowly. Charmy was the last to leave. He looked back a the big echidna  
sensing his sadness.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked softly.  
  
Knuckles smiled at him weakly. "Fine. I'll be fine." He said.  
  
"All right." The bee said, heading out the door. "Pleasant dreams, then..."  
  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
As Sally walked out of her door, a blue flash zipped by her, practically knocking her  
off her feet. Regaining her composture, she came to a conclusion.  
  
"Sonic's back." She said.  
  
She walked though the courtyard, searching for him. He had managed to dash right out  
of sight. She walked by Tails and Clawz, who had also been blown over by the sonic boom.  
  
The big wildcat shook the wet snow off himself. "I wish he wouldn't do that..." He  
grumbled, "I hate dis slush..."  
  
"Did you guys see where he went?" Sally asked.  
  
"I think he went towards the Power Ring Pool, Aunt Sally." Tails answered.  
  
"Well, I guess he got rid of 'em bots." Clawz stated, "Since we ain't seen none of  
em 'round here."  
  
"I hope so..." Sally said, walking away from them and down the path to the pond. "Thanks  
guys..."  
  
There she found Sonic with his head over the edge of the water, drinking hungrily. She   
bent down beside him. He didn't seem to notice, just kept drinking. She watched him a moment,   
then angry at being ignored, pushed him headfirst into the icy water.  
  
He came sputtering to the surface, clawing his way up the shore.  
  
"HOLY CRAP is that cold!" He yelled, shaking.  
  
"So, how'd it go?" She asked casually.  
  
He stared at her in stupefaction. "What'd you do that for?!" He asked.  
  
"You looked hot." She said simply.  
  
"Hey, I'm always hot." He said his bravado returning.  
  
She laughed, "Yeah right..."  
  
"What was that?" He said.  
  
"I asked you a question." She said, "How'd it go?"  
  
"Oh, I got them bots good!" He said proudly. "You shoulda seen me! I crushed the  
whole bunch of them! And got rid of that tracker."  
  
"Really?" She asked, "How'd you manage that?"  
  
He tapped the side you his head. "Strategy, Sal." He said, "I outsmarted them."  
  
"Well there's a first," She said, "You having a plan."  
  
"Hey, I always have a plan!" He insisted.  
  
"You always just run around and blow things up!" She said.  
  
"I know, that's usually my plan!" He said smartly.  
  
She sighed, "At least you get the job done..."   
  
"You better believe it." He said proudly.  
  
She leaned over and kissed him softly. "I'm just glad you're okay."  
  
"Woah... I feel kinda light-headed..." He mumbled.  
  
"My kisses can have that effect." She said smiling.  
  
"No, I mean I think I'm gonna faint..." He said, wobbling.  
  
"Oh!" She said, steadying him. "We better get you to the infirmary!"  
  
"That would be good..." He stammered.  
  
She lead him back down the path and into the courtyard and past Clawz and Tails who  
were trying to touch up their melting snow man.  
  
"Hey, can you open the door for us?" Sally asked, as Sonic leaned on her.  
  
"Sure. L.P.," Clawz said, pushing open the medical hall doors.  
  
"Are you okay, Sonic?" Tails asked worriedly, as he and Clawz followed them.  
  
"I'll be okay, big guy." Sonic said weakly, "Just need some rest."  
  
They ran into the doctor on the way in.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" He said, eyeing Sonic intently.  
  
"I think it's dehydration and exhaustion, Doctor Quack." Sally said.  
  
The doctor shook his finger at her. "I'll be the judge of that, Princess. I'm the  
one with the medical degree." He said sternly.  
  
After a Sonic was guided to a room and a thorough examination, the doctor came to his  
conclusion.  
  
"Just as I thought, dehydration and exhaustion." The doctor said.  
  
Sally sighed.  
  
"I suggest you get plenty of rest and drink plenty of liquids. And eat plenty of  
starches and sugars to regain your energy." He said.  
  
"Eh, right." Sonic nodded dumbly.  
  
"Take two of these, and call me in the morning." Doctor Quack said, handing him  
some lollipops and leaving the room.  
  
After he was out of earshot, Sally began to grumble. "Where on Mobius did we pick   
him up?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah," Sonic agreed, "And what's up with him askin' me to eat that stuff you make  
clothes stiff with?"  
  
"Not that kind of starch, Sonic." Sally said, "He meant breads and noodles, and foods  
that have a lot of carbohydrates."  
  
Sonic gave her a confused look. "Carbo-what?" He asked, "Does that include chilli-dogs?"  
  
Sally rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey Sonic, can I have one of your lollipops?" Tails asked.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 17: "Loneliness"  
  
  
  
  
Shelia sat in her room across the hall, sniffling quietly as she tried to convince  
herself that crying wasn't going to help anything. But she couldn't think of anything  
better to do. She felt so tired, yet she couldn't sleep. He felt hurt all over, and inside.  
She laid down on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. She felt so angry and so sad at  
the same time.   
  
'Why had he made a promise he knew he couldn't keep...?' She thought ruefully, which  
only made her cry harder.  
  
Now she had nothing. She felt as if her entire existence was now completely pointless.  
Her family was dead, her beau had forsaken her, and he duty as keeper was done. What was  
left...? Only to die?  
  
She sat up slowly, looking at her gun on the table. She picked it up, fingering it  
gently and turning over in her hands. A terrible thought crossed her mind...  
  
Suddenly something else caught her eye. She noticed a small beautiful red blossom among  
the blue buds in the pot on her bedside table. She stared at it for a moment, bewildered.  
Had he put that there?  
  
She looked down at her gun again. Her brother's gun. The one her father had given him  
the winter before he died in the war. She thought of her mother. She slowly opened the   
clip and let the ammunition cartridge fall into her lap. She picked it up, and threw it out   
the window.  
  
And then she prayed.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
It was early morning over the Eastern Sea of Mobius. The clouds hung  
sluggishly in the dense warm air. The sky was a light pink as the sun  
began to peek it's way over the blue-green horizon, sending a sparking glow  
over the waves. It was one of the few beautiful mornings the Floating Island  
saw as it went wherever the wind would take it. However, the guardian,   
Knuckles the echidna, seemed rather forlorn as he vacantly watched the   
sunrise out his window. He sighed sadly, and slumped against the sill.  
  
"Knuckles?" a red fire ant called as he appeared in a poof of smoke  
on the table.  
  
Knuckles didn't look up, just sighed again.  
  
The ant stared at him sitting at the window with confusion for a   
moment, then walked over to the far end of the table beside the window.   
  
Knuckles glanced at him as the ant crawled up and sat on the widow  
sill beside him. "Oh, hi Archimedes." He said turning back to the sunrise.  
  
"Knuckles, is there something the matter?" He asked with sincere   
concern.  
  
"Not anything you can help." He mumbled.  
  
"Are you sure?" Archimedes asked, "What's the problem?"  
  
"It's.. It's nothing." The echidna said, "I'm just felling a little   
down I guess."   
  
"How come?" Archimedes asked.  
  
He turned at looked at this teacher for a moment, as if contemplating to  
tell him or not, but then turned back to the window. "I don't know..." He  
said quietly, "Just... Lonely, I guess..."  
  
Archimedes was a bit surprised. "Lonely? Since when do you get lonely?" He  
asked, "You usually like be alone."  
  
"I don't know..." He repeated sadly.  
  
"Well come on then, lets go on patrol." The ant said cheerfully, "And after, we  
can visit Mighty and--"  
  
Knuckles didn't move. "Later... I don't feel that great right now."  
  
"Are you sick or something?" He asked.  
  
"No, no. I'll be all right." He sighed sadly, "I... I just want to   
be alone."  
  
Confused, Archimedes stood there for a moment. "But... I thought you said you   
were lonely..."   
  
"Please, leave." Knuckles said soberly.  
  
Archimedes was rather hurt, but bowed gently and disappeared in his   
gray puff of smoke. "As you say... Guardian." He whispered.  
  
Knuckles waited until the last remnants of the smoke had cleared  
before he gently withdrew the locket from his glove. He closed his hand around it   
and held it tightly in his fist. Sorrow and pain washed over him like waves.   
He closed his eyes, trying to hide from his emotions, but when he did all   
he could see was her.  
  
He could still feel her arms around him, her soft fur and tender  
embrace. He had felt so warm and happy with her. Her beauty and gentleness  
had taken him, and drew him into that passionate kiss. He could almost  
feel her loving caress, but when he opened his eyes, he was alone.  
  
Cold and alone. He felt so empty, like a hallow shell. She had become   
a piece of him, and now it had been torn away.  
  
He put his head in his hands. He felt horrible.  
  
Suddenly a hand on his shoulder made him jump. He turned quickly to see his friend  
and teammate Espio the Chameleon standing there, looking concerned.  
  
"Archimedes sent me. Something is wrong isn't there?" He asked.  
  
Knuckles turned away again, wiping his eyes. "Why won't anyone leave me alone?!" He  
said, trying to sound fierce, but his voice cracked, ruining the effect.  
  
"Knuckles, me and the rest of the guys are worried about you. You been like this  
for days now. We're not just going to sit back and act like nothing's the matter when you're  
suffering..." Espio said calmly.  
  
"Well, there's nothing you can do about it, so why should I tell you?" Knuckles  
muttered bitterly, "It'll just hurt more..."  
  
"Why don't you try me." He said, leaning against the wall beside the window. "They  
say I'm the smart one..."  
  
Knuckles sighed. "Fine, fine... Everyone's just going to bug me until I do anyway,  
apparently..."  
  
Espio nodded. "Very correct. Now what's up? Why are you so depressed all of the sudden?"  
  
Knuckles took a deep breath. "Well..." He paused. He looked over at him hesitantly, then   
back out the window. "I met this... Um... Girl..."  
  
"Oh ho!" Espio said, "So THAT is what this is all about!"  
  
Knuckles frowned at him.  
  
Espio wiped the grin off his face and tried to look serious again. "Continue." He   
prompted.  
  
Knuckles gazed out the window once more. "... And I miss her."  
  
"Is that all?" Espio said.  
  
"Well, there's more..." Knuckles said, "It's just complicated..."  
  
"Uh huh." The chameleon said, "And what made this girl so special?"  
  
"Oh, man. Just... Just everything!" Knuckles exclaimed. "She's great. Funny, sweet and..."  
  
"Pretty?" Espio asked.  
  
"Beautiful!" Knuckles said, rather loudly. "You should have seen her... She's like...  
Like an angel..."  
  
"She sounds wonderful, Knuckles," He said, "But why is such an incredible girl making  
you so upset?"  
  
"Like I said... I miss her..." He said softly, "When I left, she had to stay and..."  
  
"And you are afraid you'll never see her again?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Well, earlier on I got a transmission from Knothole and--" Espio began.  
  
"You WHAT?" Knuckles yelled, turning around.  
  
Espio backed up a little. "Um... I received a message from Knothole..." He stuttered.  
  
"And why didn't you tell me this earlier?" He said, rather angry.  
  
"Well, you were still asleep and I..."  
  
"Just get me another connection." Knuckles practically ordered.  
  
"Okay..." Espio said slowly. "I don't know if I can re-trace the signal from so   
far away..."  
  
"Do what ever it takes!" Knuckles said.  
  
Espio stared at him shocked, for a moment.  
  
Knuckles sighed, cooling down. "... Please..." He mumbled.  
  
"No problem." Espio said smiling. I'll have to bounce a signal off a satellite but I  
think I'll be able to recontact Knothole."  
  
"Thanks..."   
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
  
Sally sat in the infirmary hall way waiting. Waiting for Sonic to wake up, waiting  
for Shelia to finally come out of her room, waiting for a reply from the Floating Island.  
If her plan worked, everyone would be happy again.   
  
She stared at Shelia's door for a long time. She had been holed up in there for days.  
She wouldn't let anyone in, she wouldn't eat, and everyone was worried about her. Sally  
sighed. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse for Shelia...  
  
Suddenly Nicole beeped at her side. Sally cheered up. Finally a reply!  
  
"Hello?" She said, opening the hand-held computer.  
  
"Oh, it's just you Sally..." Knuckles said, looking rather disappointed.  
  
"Well it's nice to see you too!" She said, a bit hurt.  
  
"Sorry Sally..." He said glumly. "I just thought maybe..."  
  
"Shelia was the one who wanted to contact you?" She finished.  
  
He nodded slowly, looking down.  
  
"You miss her?" She asked.  
  
He nodded again, rather embarrassed.  
  
"She's been locked up in her room for a long time now."  
  
Knuckles looked up at her. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah..." She said.  
  
"I bet she hates me." He said, sorrowfully. "I deserted her..."  
  
"I think she may be a upset, but I don't think she hates you." Sally reassured,  
"In fact, I think she has some real feelings for you, Knuckles."  
  
He look a bit flustered at that statement. "Y-you really think so?" He asked.  
  
She nodded.   
  
He smiled. "Well... I've never felt like this before... About anyone..."  
  
"...Anyone?" Sally asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
He flinched. He was silent for a moment. "... Why did you want to contact me?" He asked   
changing the subject.  
  
She laughed. "What's the matter, Knux? You thought I never noticed?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked, trying to sound oblivious.  
  
"Oh come on..." She said smiling coyly, "You used to have a little crush on me."  
  
Knuckles' face reddened. "Well... Umm... Maybe..." He said turning away, "But this  
is different. What I feel for Shelia is more than that..."  
  
Sally leaned back, satisfied.  
  
Now Knuckles felt awkward. "Umm... Now can you tell me why you wanted to contact me?" He   
asked, shaking off his uneasiness.  
  
"I think I have a solution to all our problems." She said.  
  
He lightened up. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Let's make us a deal..." She began. "You do something for me, and I'll do something for   
you... A mutual agreement."  
  
"Whatever it takes to get Shelia back." He said.  
  
"That's what I'd thought you say." She said smiling, "Well, as you might know, recent  
attacks here at Knothole have damaged much of our grounds, we need room for trainees, plus   
we've recently gained several new allies..."  
  
"Yes..." He said slowly.  
  
"So we're running out of room down here." She said, "And this is where you come in..."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "How so?"  
  
"You let the Freedom Fighters build a fort on the Floating Island where we can keep  
new troops and--" She explained.  
  
"Woah, woah! Slow down Sally!" Knuckles said waving his hands in the air. "Nothing doing!  
We have enough trouble here as is!"  
  
"But don't you see?" She said, "If the Freedom Fighters are on the island, we could help  
you better protect it, plus Shelia could come and live there, since she wants to be with you and  
still be a freedom fighter..."  
  
He stared at her for a while, in deep thought. "I... I don't know..." He mumbled   
uncertainly. "What does Shelia think of all this?"  
  
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Sally asked, standing up and opening a door. Shelia,  
who had been listening to their conversation with her ear pressed up against the doorway, fell   
out into the hallway.  
  
Both she and Knuckles were surprised.  
  
She stood up unsteadily, staring at his image in disbelief.  
  
"Hi." He said softly.  
  
She frowned, saying nothing.  
  
Knuckles glanced at Sally uneasily.  
  
She took the hint. "I'll leave you two alone..." Sally said, walking out of the room.  
  
"Are you angry with me?" He asked somberly, after she was gone.  
  
"You did break a promise." She said softly.  
  
He felt a wave of guilt hit him. "I know... I... I never meant to hurt you..."  
  
She held back tears. "I know..."  
  
"Please... Don't be angry with me..." He pleaded.  
  
She sighed.   
  
"I... I miss you..." He said softly.  
  
She smiled weakly. "So I heard..."  
  
"You heard... Everything?" He asked softly.  
  
She nodded, looking up at him with her gentle eyes.  
  
"Do you want to come to the Floating Island...?" He asked, apprehensively.  
  
Her expression changed from wistful back to angry again. "Are you sure you want your   
precious island violated by my presence?" She asked, rather bitterly.  
  
He cringed. "Owch." He said softly. "That's hitting below the belt..."  
  
She stifled back a sob. "Was it you who put that flower in my room?" She asked.  
  
He was confused for a moment, then remembered. "...Yeah..." He said slowly.  
  
She bit her lip, saying nothing.  
  
He sighed, thinking for a while again. "I want you to come..." He said.  
  
"And... And I want to come." She said, smiling sadly.  
  
"Fine then." He decided finally. "Tell the Princess I agree. You can come as soon as   
possible."  
  
The sadness left Shelia's face and was replaced with joy. "...I miss you too..."  
She said quietly, putting her hand next to his hologram.  
  
"Come soon..." He said.  
  
She smiled. "I will..."  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
  
Chapter eighteen: "Reunion"  
  
  
  
  
  
Ace looked up, feeling a new presence. "They're here..." He said, smiling.  
  
Suddenly the ear-splitting sound of laughter filled the chaos chamber, rattling the   
crystal walls. Two new gems had been placed in the large shining room. One red as blood,  
the other dark as night.  
  
Kayoss cringed, covering her ears. "Oh great hell..." She grumbled.  
  
A small pink blur flashed in front of her.  
  
Kayoss stood up to come face to face with a way too excited, red-head.  
  
"HELLO KAYOSS!" She giggled happily hugging her, "It's been a long time since I've   
seen you!"  
  
"Not long enough, Venus..." The emerald-haired woman grumbled.  
  
A tall dark woman appeared behind them. She turned to the white-clad man  
beside her. "Hello again Ace." She said dully, in her mono-tone voice.  
  
Kayoss threw the overly-zealous Venus off her in rage. "Rona!" She practically   
screamed, turning to the amethyst-eyed woman. "YOU failed!" She snarled.  
  
Ace caught Venus in mid-air. She giggled happily. "Hello to you too..."  
  
"What do you mean I failed?" Rona spat.  
  
"What do I mean?!" Kayoss yelled, "YOU were SUPPOSED to kill those stupid Freedom  
Fighters, and your keeper, AND the GUARDIAN!!!"  
  
Rona stared down at her unmoved. "Do you really think I listen to you?" She said. "I  
was just having fun with that stupid robot. And then I played around with the guardian's  
mind, which was much more entertaining..."  
  
Kayoss was fuming. "HOW dare YOU!" She screeched.  
  
"Oh Kayoss, don't be so negative." Venus said smiling, still in Ace's arms. "Thanks to   
you, the Guardian found our keeper and now we're together again!"  
  
Kayoss scowled at her. And seeing her diamond holding her, she grew even more angry.   
"Put her down, Ace!" She ordered.  
  
"What's the matter darling?" He said, setting the girl down. "Green with envy?"  
  
Kayoss stared at him with humorless eyes.  
  
"Hee hee! I get it, she's green and--" Venus said, bursting into laughter before  
she could even finish her sentance.  
  
"I hate this..." Kayoss muttered.  
  
Rona just smiled blandly. 'I love this...' She thought.  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
"You fools!" Kragok spat, as he sat at the head of what was left of his army. "You  
cowards! You... You... I can't even think of a word to describe your stupidity! How  
could you be defeated!?"  
  
The beaten and battered Dark Legionaries bowed their heads in shame.  
  
"You are all traitors, and should be killed for your defiance to me..." Kragok growled.  
  
"No, master please!" A voice called from the crowd.  
  
"Who dares...?!"   
  
Lysander made his way through the crowd. "It was not our fault!" He said.  
  
Kragok eyed him fiercely. "You again...?"  
  
"There was a great force, a monster that beat us!" He defended, "We were not trained  
to fight against such power!"  
  
"A great force?" Kragok said, "What are you rambling about?"  
  
"A dark force, that the guardian possessed. He would have destroyed us all if we did  
not retreat..."  
  
"The guardian, eh?" Kragok hissed, "So he has returned... And with a new power..."  
  
Lysander nodded and bowed before him. "Please master, if you kill us now, there will  
be no army left to fight again..."  
  
Kragok thought a moment. "You make some sense soldier, so, for now at least, you and your  
comrades shall live."  
  
Lysander sighed with relief. "Thank you, Master..."  
  
"Troops dismissed." Kragok grumbled, "Except you..."  
  
"M-me sir?" Lysander asked.  
  
"Yes... You are her brother... Now where is she?" He asked solemnly.  
  
"J-Julie-Su, Master?" He stuttered.  
  
"Yes, do you have any other sister?!" Kragok snarled.  
  
"Eh... No, Master... It's just that... Uh..."  
  
"What?" Kragok spat.  
  
"She didn't return with the others..." He stammered. "She... She must have been killed  
in the fight..."  
  
Kragok sat up straight in shock. His one normal eye narrowed, the other, flashed red.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir." Lysander said sadly.  
  
Kragok sneered. "Get out of my sight..."  
  
"Y-yes Master." Lysander agreed, turning and practically running out of the great  
hall in fright. He stopped outside the door and slumped against a column. He knew better  
than to truly think that Julie-Su was dead. She was too smart to get caught in a death  
match like that. She had to be still alive. At least he hoped she was...  
  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
  
Knuckles sat waiting impatiently on the edge of the Floating Island. How long had  
he been sitting there? It felt like years. He sighed. "What's taking them so long...?"  
  
He looked out over the horizon. He spotted a small green craft in the distance. He  
shot up. 'There they are!' He thought.   
  
He smiled, but then he felt a wave of anxiety. What was he going to say to her? Was she  
still going to be angry? What was he going to do?  
  
He hurriedly, ran to a nearby lake and checked his appearance. He looked all right.   
Smelled all right. Nothing in his teeth...  
  
He paced nervously back and forth. He glanced back out at the craft. It would be only   
minutes now. His stomach was in knots.  
  
He tried to calm himself. 'What am I so worried about?' He thought, 'This isn't that  
big of a deal.' Knuckles thought sitting down on the rock again. 'I'm only going to see the   
girl whose heart I crushed into a million and a half pieces.'  
  
He gulped.   
  
The small green hover-craft landed on the edge of the island. The door opened and  
she slowly stepped out.  
  
He stood up.  
  
She stared at him for a while, with an emotionless gaze. But, slowly a weak smile formed  
on her lips.   
  
He smiled too.  
  
She ran to him and threw her arms around him.   
  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue: "A Break in the Clouds"  
  
  
  
  
"Your friends are very nice..." Shelia said.  
  
"Can't say I feel the same about yours... One in particular." Knuckles said. He had   
just introduced her to the Chaotix. They had strayed away from the crowd, the rest of the   
Freedom Fighters who had come to set up the fort on the island. Now they were back at Knuckles  
home, sitting on the couch in front of a warm fire.  
  
"Why do you hate Sonic so much?" She asked, holding onto his arm.  
  
"He's a show-off. A big jerk. He never even thinks. He has no responsibilities to  
worry about..." Knuckles said.  
  
"He beat you up once, didn't he?" She asked, with a knowing smile.  
  
He stopped looked over at her, dumbfounded.  
  
She leaned over and kissed him. "I'm smarter than I let on." She said.  
  
Still a bit in a daze, he stared at her. "I figured that out a while ago." He said.  
  
She just smiled at him.  
  
"Oh, I have something for you." He said turning and pulling something out of his glove.  
He slowly drew out the golden necklace and locket and put it back around her neck.  
  
"Oh no, Knuckles..." She said, beginning to take it off again. "I gave these stones  
to you, because you are the rightful guardian..."  
  
He stopped her. "I know. The stones aren't in there any longer." He said.  
  
"What?" She asked confused.  
  
"I took them out, but don't worry. They're in a safe place." He reassured. "I wanted  
you to have this. I know it must mean an awful lot to you..."  
  
She smiled again looking at him and down at the heart-shaped charm. "Thank you..."  
  
"Well, aren't you going to look inside?" He asked playfully.  
  
"There's something inside?" She asked.  
  
"Go ahead and look..." He said.  
  
A bit confused, she slowly opened the front side of the locket. Inside there were  
two pictures, one of her mother and one of her father. On the other side, there was a picture  
of her brother and sister. Shelia was moved to tears. "Where on earth did you get these?" She  
asked, still confused, but very happy.  
  
"They were all in that bundle of papers you gave me. I figured you didn't know they  
were in there, or else you wouldn't of given it me, so I... I thought I'd surprise you..." He  
explained.  
  
"Thank you so much..." She said, hugging him. Then she pulled back, but just enough to  
kiss him again. He returned the gesture fervently.  
  
"We have a lot to talk about..." He whispered softly, as they drew apart.  
  
"Yeah, we do..." She said smiling. She yawned and leaning on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm just so glad you came..." He said, putting his chin on top of her head.  
  
"Yeah me too..." She mumbled.  
  
"I... I was so lonely without you..." He admitted.  
  
"Mmm hmm..."   
  
"So, well uh..." He began. "Why don't you tell me about those Lost Scrolls now?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Shelia?"  
  
Still no answer.  
  
He looked down at her. Her eyes were closed. He sighed softly,   
smiling. She had fallen asleep. He pulled a cover over them, and nestled into   
her soft, silky fur. He took a deep breath, and he too fell asleep with his   
arms around her.  
  
  
  
******  
  
  
  
She took a deep breath of the salty air. She felt the soft green grass beneath  
her. She looked up at the horizon, where the great fiery sun was setting in the east and  
the glowing night moons of Mobius were begging to rise. She pulled back the hood of her   
black cloak to let the warm breeze blow through her quills.  
  
She sighed, brushing her feathery hair out of her violet eyes. She smiled.   
  
"No more taking orders..." She whispered, "Finally... Freedom..."  
  
Her fight was finally was over... For now at least.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The End  
  
  
----------------  
  
...Of the Love and Hate series. But what still lies ahead?  
  
Knuckles still has four more crystals to find to fulfill his 'destiny'. And who exactly  
was that mysterious girl in his dream? And Julie-Su is free now, but for how long? Well,  
things will start up again in the next series, which is right now sceduled sometime in the   
indefinate future. Probably starting up again in late summer or early fall, depending on when   
me and Orona Red finish our co-written project. BTW, sorry for this part being so late   
again... I know I said mid-spring, and this is early summer but... Eh heh, just be thankful   
that I actually finished it at all!  
  
~Erin Lindsey  
  
Please mail me with your comments and questions! I always love hearing from my fans! And   
even if your not a fan, I'd still probably love hearing from you...  
  
diamondneko@mail.com  
  
And please stop by at my 'little' furry art site ClearWater Productions!  
  
http://www.furnation.com/clearwaters  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Legalities: Okay. ready, set go!!!  
Sonic the Hegehog, Knuckles the Echidna, the Freedom   
Fighters, the Chaotix, Dr. Robotnik, and any related   
characters are licensed characters of SEGA and Co.   
and/or DIC and Archie Adventure series Comics. Clawz the   
Wildcat, Shelia ClearWaters, Kayoss Emerald, Ace Diamond,   
Rona Ameythst, Venus Ruby, and Lysander were created by   
Erin Lindsey. If you want any of my stories on your site,   
or want to use any of my characters, you must have written   
consent of my aurthorization, beforehand.  
  
Send any complications to:   
diamondneko@mail.com   



End file.
